Cracked But Not Broken
by Nefra I
Summary: Complete The jewel is complete, Naraku is dead. Kagome accidentally 'kills' Kikyou and Inu Yasha turns his back on her. SessKag Please read and review
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody, yes, this is a repost. For those of you that remember me at Fanfiction dot net, you will recognize this story. Now remember, I wrote this when I first started out writing fan fiction, so there will be SOME clichés in this but I tried to keep it down to a minimum. This will not be a completely happy fic, nor will it be angst. Some parts will contain angst but overall there will be a happy conclusion. That's all I'm going to tell ya for now. For those who are interested in the lemon version, either place it in your review or email me at the address on my bio page. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha

Chapter 1: Kagome's Wish

Kagome sat on the hillside looking out over Kaede's village but she didn't see it. The sun was setting, casting the sky in beautiful shades of pink, gold and purple but Kagome was blind to that as well. One by one, tears streamed from her eyes only to drop forgotten to the earth. Each tear represented a piece of her shattered heart but she no longer cared. She didn't care who saw her weakness, she didn't care about anything now. All she wanted was for the earth to open up and swallow her whole, never to be seen again. This was supposed to be a happy time; a time of celebration but it wasn't. She had made the biggest mistake of her life and actually found herself wishing she could undo everything.

She didn't notice when four figures came up behind her nor did it register when they surrounded her with their warmth. The only thing she could feel was the pain in her chest. It numbed her, made what had happened seem unreal but she knew better. It was real, all of it had been real from his harsh words to the destruction of the well; it was real.

"It will be all right Kagome." Sango whispered. "We're here for you little sister."

Little by little Kagome realized that her friends, her true friends, were still with her and standing tall beside her. They were her family and they hadn't turned their backs on her. Sango had one arm around her shoulders sitting on one side while Miroku was on the other in the same position. Shippou had his arms around her waist and Kirara had her head in Kagome's lap.

"We're your family now Kagome." Miroku reassured her quietly. "We will stand by your side forever."

Kagome recalled a time when she'd said the exact same words to a certain hanyou but now he wanted nothing to do with her. For a long time no one moved as they watched the sun set in the western sky. The stars were starting to come out when Shippou looked up at the dark haired girl.

"Kagome," he asked softly. "I was wondering…can I be your son?"

Shippou's small voice seemed to register and she looked down at him with pained eyes.

"Are you sure you want to be attached to a good for nothing reincarnation?"

"Don't say those things about yourself. I've wanted to call you 'Mom' almost since I first met you. You can be my mom, Sango can be my aunt and Miroku can be my perverted uncle."

That got a small smile out of Kagome while Sango giggled softly. Miroku groaned loudly and lowered his head in defeat.

"I'd like that Shippou." Kagome whispered.

Shippou smiled and wagged his fluffy tail ecstatically. Kagome looked around her at the ones who stood beside her now. She decided immediately to make the best of the situation but the one she wanted there by her side the most hated her with all his being.

Flashback

Kagome was so happy that she actually got the nerve to kiss Inu Yasha. Granted it was just a little peck on the cheek but still a kiss. Inu Yasha, much to Miroku's amusement, had blushed a deep red. The defeat of Naraku was a happy occasion, one that they all had reasons to celebrate. Miroku's curse was gone, Sango had avenged her family and Kagome had finally righted her wrong by completing the Shikon no Tama. After they returned to the village, Kagome said that she was going home to clean up and to talk with her family then return that evening for the festivities.

The young woman had thought long and hard about this and decided that she would stay in the feudal era with her friends and try to visit as often as she could. Her family had understood when she explained that she had no idea how much longer the magic of the well would hold. Therefore, she said her goodbyes to them, acting as if it would be the last time she ever saw them. If she'd known how right she was, she would have stayed just a little longer.

When she emerged from the well, she looked up into the sky and saw a bunch of disconnected souls being captured by soul gatherers. Kagome knew what this meant and ran into the forest. She wasn't surprised to see Inu Yasha with Kikyou but a strangled cry escaped her lips when she witnessed Kikyou's portal to hell open below the hanyou and undead priestess. Kagome had decided to give Kikyou a new life with a new soul just to make Inu Yasha happy. However, she had to stop them from going to hell first. Notching an arrow in her bow, she raised it with all intentions of firing it into the portal, to close it so they could hear her out. Just as she let go of the arrow something jumped on her back throwing her aim off, it was Shippou. She watched in horror as the arrow meant for the portal struck Kikyou in the chest. The portal closed and Kikyou turned to a pile of dust in Inu Yasha's arms. When he turned around to look at her, her heart froze in place. His eyes were nothing more than bottomless pools of pure anger.

"What have you done?" he yelled at her.

"It was an accident Inu Yasha, I swear." Kagome answered. "I was aiming for the portal to close it."

Inu Yasha's expression showed nothing but disgust. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? You took something away from me that meant more than anything did. You take my pride…I take your home."

He ran past her at blinding speed and Kagome ran after him with all her might.

"Inu Yasha, NO!"

She got there just in time to watch him obliterate the well with Tetsusaiga. He sheathed the sword and turned to look her in the eye.

"I never want to see your ugly reincarnated face ever again." He said calmly. "Go do what you like with who ever you like but don't expect me to call you 'friend' ever again."

Kagome watched as he walked into the forest leaving with her only way home completely destroyed.

"I'm sorry Kagome." Shippou whispered from under her hair. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong. I was just so happy to see you that I…"

By this time, Kagome was crying as she held Shippou very close. The kit could do nothing but hug her back and hope she forgave his mistake.

End Flashback

The sound of someone approaching made them look up. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when Kaede sat down beside them in the grass.

"Ye are not to blame for this Kagome and neither is Shippou. This was something bound to happen eventually. When ye first told me of the plans to give Kikyou another soul, I was happy. She would be able to live again and possibly move on past her hatred of Inu Yasha and yourself. I am sorry that things have turned out this way but perhaps one day Inu Yasha will understand. Maybe he will understand what your true intentions were and realize that it was not revenge that guided your hand but your love for him."

"I wish a certain hanyou jackass could see it that clearly." Sango said with a frown.

Kagome shook her head. "I can't make Inu Yasha do anything that he doesn't want to do. I guess we just weren't meant to be. Why would he want to live out his life with someone as ugly as I am anyway?"

Before anyone could respond, Kagome stood up and headed down into the village to try to join in the festivities. On her way, she made the decision that if he didn't care what she did then she wouldn't care either. She walked through the village, past all the offers of food and drinks with an apologetic smile and entered Kaede's hut. She changed into the dark blue kimono that Kaede had given her and walked over to her sleeping place. Going through her bag, she removed everything that she would no longer need. Going over to the fire in the center of the hut, she tossed her schoolbooks and her school uniform into it. The door to the hut stood open and from the other side of the village a certain figure watched from said distance through the door as she did this. Their eyes took on a saddened light for a moment before turning hard and cold then vanishing into the night.

xxx

The next morning Kagome awoke early to find Kaede moving about the hut intent on making breakfast.

"Good morning." Kagome said after sitting up and stretching.

"How are ye this morning?" Kaede asked.

Kagome shrugged and set about helping Kaede. "I don't really know. For some reason I don't feel anything."

Kaede watched the young woman sitting in front of her and shook her head sadly. Inu Yasha had said the one thing that could have broken her but she was putting up a very strong front. Kaede also noticed that the jewel still glowed pure indicating that Kagome would be all right given some time.

"Have ye given any thought to your wish?" Kaede inquired.

"Yes I have and I think I know what I'm going to wish for. I had thought for some time about bringing back Kohaku but Sango refused to let me do that. She thinks that his memories returning would be too much for him and that it would be better to just let him rest."

"So ye will wish to return to your home then?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I had already told my family that I would be staying here."

"But yet ye had decided to return and tell them how your life was going from time to time."

"Yes, but I guess that decision has already been made for me." Kagome said sadly. "I will make my wish before lunch and I would like only you to be present when I make it Kaede."

Kaede sighed; she now knew what Kagome's would be.

"I think that ye should reconsider this wish." Kaede said quietly. "Doing so will not bring back his friendship."

"I don't care what it does! I just want to undo my past mistakes so I can move on with a clean conscience."

"Where will ye go Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes took on a faraway light. "I don't know but it will be away from here. As much as I love it in this village, it's a big world and I want to see it."

Kaede nodded. "I understand."

"And besides," Kagome continued. "You still haven't found anyone to take over for you when you get too old."

Kaede smiled. "I am already too old child."

"I don't think so." Kagome stated, smiling back.

"I thank ye for saying so Kagome."

xxx

Kaede and Kagome walked away from the village together about an hour before noon with specific instructions to Sango, Miroku and Shippou not to follow. Once they reached a small clearing in the forest Kagome stared at the jewel for a moment.

"Are ye sure about this wish Kagome?" Kaede asked again.

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I want my mind clear of any guilt."

Kaede had not been able to convince Kagome that there was no guilt, but the young woman refused to see it that way. In her young mind, she had hurt a very dear friend and, though she would never admit it, she secretly hoped that this would indeed make him happy and someday forgive her.

Kagome closed her eyes and silently made her wish. The wind around them picked up, whipping Kagome's hair mercilessly. The Shikon no Tama disappeared in a bright blue flame and the wind died down. A few seconds later a figure started to materialize in front of the two women. Little by little, it became solid then looked around in confusion. Finally, its deep chocolate eyes fell on Kagome and Kaede.

"Why?" Kikyou asked softly, a tone of awe in her voice. "Why did you bring me back?"

Kagome smiled at her incarnate. "I have my reasons Kikyou. Please accept my apology for killing you."

Kikyou smiled at her, a genuine sisterly smile. "There is nothing to apologize for Kagome. But why did you use the Shikon no Tama to bring me back?"

"Let's just say I did it to make someone very happy and leave it at that." Kagome explained with no emotion in her voice. "I will take my leave now Kaede. If you should see Inu Yasha…tell him not to worry. I'm doing exactly as he requested and leaving but I will come back to visit from time to time."

Kagome turned away from them and started walking back to the village.

"Does she honestly believe that bringing me back would have made him happy?" Kikyou asked.

Kaede sighed. "There are some things that ye need to know Kikyou."

Ten minutes later Kikyou ran into Kaede's hut frantically searching for the younger miko. Miroku and Sango looked at her in shock even though Kagome had told them what she'd done.

"Where is she?" Kikyou begged them. "I have to stop her."

"Lady Kagome is gone along with Shippou." Miroku said from his spot beside Sango. "She has already said her farewells."

Kikyou shook her head and fought the tears that had started to gather in her eyes. Kagome had brought her back thinking that Inu Yasha was in love with her but that wasn't true at all. Kagome was the one that Inu Yasha loved; she had made her wish for nothing.

xxx

Well, there it is. I know how this looks but I promise all of you that this will be a Sess/Kag fic. I am taking a different approach to it this time. Hope you all enjoy the read. So please click on that little button at the bottom of the screen that says 'Review' so I can get my normal amount of feedback here. Until next time…ja ne.


	2. Journey To Nowhere

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There is a method to my writing madness here. I've received a request on what the pairing should be. It only reinforces my original choice to another Sess/Kag fic. It's an obsession, what can I say? On that note, there is one thing that I do wish to clear up before the questions start flying. Kikyou has not spoken to Inu Yasha as of yet but that will be coming very soon. Please read and review, thank you.

Disclaimer: Why do I always have to write this? I know I don't own it. You know I don't own it so let's just leave it at that.

Chapter 2: Journey to Nowhere

A week had passed since they'd departed from Kaede's village. Kagome and Shippou traveled until the sun began to set before they decided to make camp. Shippou went to gather firewood while Kagome hunted up a nice plump rabbit for them. After they'd eaten, Shippou crawled into Kagome's lap so he could continue his reading lesson. Kagome had decided to start teaching the young kitsune to read a few months back and he was doing quite well. He read the entire story of 'The Ugly Duckling' without stopping then looked up at her when he was finished.

"Is that how you see yourself Momma?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean Shippou?"

Shippou looked back down at the book cover. "Do you see yourself as an ugly duckling that nobody wants or likes?"

Kagome's eyes took on a saddened light. "Maybe sometimes I do."

Shippou shook his head. "You shouldn't pay attention to what that baka says about you. You may think of yourself as an ugly duckling but the ugly duckling became a beautiful swan. I think you're a beautiful swan already Momma."

Kagome smiled at him. "Thank you Shippou."

The kitsune could tell that she wasn't convinced so he decided to drop the subject and crawled to his normal resting place inside her sleeping bag. For a long time Kagome lay awake thinking about what her kitsune son had told her. In his eyes, she probably was a swan but in her eyes, she was just another ugly human.

'I'll never be a swan Shippou, but thanks for trying to make me feel better.'

She didn't sleep that well and was up before Shippou even stirred from his spot. After making a cold breakfast of the left over rabbit, they continued on their way. The last four years had actually been very good to Kagome. She'd finally rounded out in all the right places and grown a couple inches. Sango had taken it upon herself to teach Kagome how to fight so the young girl could not only defend herself; she'd actually defeated a youkai or two when no one could help her. Sango had taken great pains to teach her how to use a sword; she'd been a very patient teacher. Kagome's skill with the bow and arrow had improved greatly as well. She could now hit a target a small as Myoga at fifty yards. She was no longer the weak human girl that had fallen through the well at the tender age of fifteen. She was now nineteen and would be turning twenty about two weeks from now. Kagome was starting to wonder if she would ever find someone else to love.

She loved Inu Yasha with all her heart but she knew the old saying; say something to someone long enough and you eventually start to believe it. She loved him enough to bring back Kikyou for him, she loved him enough to do as he asked but she also loved him enough to let go. He was in love with Kikyou and that was all there was to it.

"Where exactly are we going Momma?" Shippou asked.

Kagome smiled as he walked beside her. "I hadn't really put much thought into it. I thought that maybe we could adventure for a while like we used to then maybe find someplace to settle down for a while."

Shippou grinned. "I think that sounds like a lot of fun. It's too bad the others aren't here though. That would make it even more fun."

Kagome stopped and playfully glared at her kitsune son. "Oh, so I'm not enough fun. Is that it?"

Shippou squealed happily, as Kagome took off after him down the path. Their impromptu game of chase soon led them to a village. Kagome had Shippou hop up on her shoulder while they walked through, stopping to pick up a few supplies on their way. Some of the villagers stared openly as she walked away from the market, most of them men. Shippou watched these with rapt interest; they were looking at his mother in a way that made him wonder if they would ever be interested in courting her.

They soon left the village behind and continued on their way. Shippou jumped down from her shoulder once more and started shooting foxfire, making it take the shape of different animals and insects.

"How long have you been able to do that Shippou?" Kagome asked when they stopped for a rest.

Shippou shrugged. "Not long a few weeks at most. It's not really all that helpful during a battle but I thought it would be fun to experiment."

"What else can you make it do?"

Shippou frowned for a moment then got a bright idea. He shot out a particularly large column and closed his eyes to concentrate. Kagome gasped when it took on the form of Sesshoumaru, long fluffy tail and all.

"That's incredible." Kagome whispered then clapped.

Shippou exhaled and the image faded. "I still need some practice. My father could do that too, all kitsune can, but he was able to hold it for much longer without having to concentrate as hard as I do."

Kagome ruffled his bright red hair. "We'll have to make time to start training you with it then."

A loud crash from somewhere up ahead caught their attention. Shippou climbed up on Kagome's back and they ran toward the disturbance. The sounds of fighting soon reached their ears followed by the scent of blood so strong that even Kagome could pick it up with her human nose. As an afterthought, Kagome hid hers and Shippou's scent so that whoever was fighting wouldn't notice their scents. They deviated from the path and into the forest trying to find the source of the blood when they heard voices.

"Your master isn't here to protect you anymore." A very familiar voice growled. "You killed my tribe and now I'll kill you to avenge their deaths."

Kagome stopped behind a very large tree trunk and watched with horrified eyes as Kouga punched his hand through Kagura's stomach. The female fell as even more of her blood seeped out onto the already damp earth. Kagome couldn't believe the look on Kouga's face, it was full of malice and anger. She'd never seen such an expression on his face before and never wanted to see it again.

"Die long and slow." Kouga said. "I hope you rest in hell."

With that said, the wolf youkai ran off in a whirlwind of dust. As soon as he was gone, Kagome ran from her place behind the tree and kneeled down next to Kagura.

"Are you here to inflict your justice as well human?" Kagura demanded, her red hued eyes glaring at the young miko.

Kagome ignored her. "Shippou, find a place away from here and start gathering firewood. I'll be right behind you."

Shippou didn't much like the idea of leaving his mother alone with the wind youkai but did as she told him.

"I'm going to move you Kagura." Kagome said. "It may hurt a bit."

Kagura ground her teeth together as the miko lifted her off the ground. She'd never in her life been subject to such a humiliation other than Naraku and had to wonder why this particular human was helping her.

"I can still use my legs." Kagura spat.

"If you can then use them, you're not as light as you look." Kagome retorted. "Just keep your arm around my shoulder so you don't fall, okay?"

Kagura blinked and studied the miko out of the corner of her eye. She had a determined look on her face that Kagura could only…admire? Had she just thought that? They finally caught up with Shippou, who had a fire going and Kagome's sleeping bag out on the ground with an extra blanket. Kagome lay Kagura down on the blanket and started to pull open the youkai's kimono around the wound in her stomach.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kagura demanded weakly.

"Saving your life it looks like." Kagome said softly. "Shippou, bring me my bag."

Shippou did so and waited close by to see if his mother needed anything else.

Kagome looked over the wound and started digging through her much lighter pack for a towel and her medical supplies.

"I need you to stay here Shippou. I'm going to get some water from that stream we passed on the trail." She turned soft eyes to Kagura. "Don't move, and don't worry, no one here is going to hurt you."

"As if I would worry about a baby fox and a weak human." Kagura muttered.

Kagome left for the stream while Shippou tended to the fire, quickly glancing at Kagura occasionally.

"Is there a problem with your eyes kit?" Kagura demanded.

Shippou shook his head. "No, just trying to figure out why you're being so cold. My mother is only trying to save you."

"I didn't ask for her help."

"Well, it looks like you got it whether you wanted it or not."

They both fell silent when Kagome returned. She could tell by the tension in the air that the two had shared a few words. Deciding to ignore this for now, Kagome went about cleaning Kagura's wound and noticed that it had already begun to heal around the edges. Finally, she tossed the bloodied towel aside and went about bandaging her patient.

"There," Kagome said finally. "That should do you for now."

Kagura glared again at the miko. "Why are you wasting your time? I could easily kill you."

Kagome giggled. "You sound just like a certain taiyoukai I know. He said the exact same thing to me once."

"Yes and now the two of you are allies, aren't you?"

Kagome frowned. "I hadn't really thought about it. Most likely, that partnership was forged just to battle Naraku. I seriously doubt that he would place me in such a high stature."

"I watched Lord Sesshoumaru during the final battle miko. You interest him like no other."

Kagome took a water bottle from her bag, unscrewed the cap and handed it to Kagura. "Sesshoumaru hates humans so I know for a fact that I would never interest him on any level."

"If he hates humans so much then why does he care for a little human girl?"

Kagome faltered, that was actually a very good question but one that would have to be answered later.

"We'll have to stop somewhere and get you a new kimono." She said after a moment, conveniently changing the subject. "I have an extra one in my bag if you would like to use it."

"Why are you helping me?" Kagura demanded. "I was your enemy."

"I don't think you were ever our real enemy. You were only doing what Naraku ordered you to do. But what I want to know is why?"

Kagura reached into the remnants of her kimono and pulled out a small red sphere. "This, miko, is my heart. Naraku kept it close to him at all times. If I had disobeyed him he could have killed me by destroying it."

"So you really didn't have a choice. I know how that feels."

"Where is your hanyou mate?" Kagura asked, looking around.

Kagome shook her head and walked away from the wind youkai. Kagura took this to mean that the hanyou had never mated with her and turned her away. He had taken her heart and not given his in return. Kagura felt a bit of pity toward the miko and looked down at her heart resting in the palm of her hand. Perhaps she and this miko had more in common than either realized. Both had watched as others took their hearts and slowly murdered them from the inside out. Kagura had felt pain on more than one occasion due to Naraku's abuse to her heart. The miko had felt emotional pain from Inu Yasha abusing her heart in a way that she couldn't defend herself against. Yes, they did have a lot in common.

"Where were you traveling to?" Kagome asked from her place beside the fire.

Kagura scowled. "What do you care?"

"I don't. I just thought that perhaps, until you completely recover, that we could all travel together. When you reach your destination we'll go our separate ways."

Kagura frowned. "I had no plans on going anywhere in particular."

"Then travel with us." Kagome exclaimed happily. "It would be nice to have another female to talk to."

Kagura nodded. "Very well."

The wind youkai was actually looking forward to the prospect of traveling with someone. She had always been alone and there were times when the loneliness had become almost unbearable. The miko was extending her hand in friendship it seemed and Kagura found herself wanting to grasp it and never let go. Her eyes soon grew heavy and the warmth from the fire was too comfortable. With visions of what the future may hold for her and the miko, she fell into a deep sleep.

xxx

Kikyou sat by the fire in Kaede's hut and listened to the monk and exterminator banter back and forth with a small smile. They had accepted her, not as Kagome's replacement but as someone who could become a friend. Kikyou had already grown used to the screams of 'hentai' from the exterminator which was always followed by the monk laying on the ground with a glazed expression. These times always made Kikyou laugh and it made her heart feel good to laugh without malice.

She had awakened early to cook breakfast and was soon joined by Sango and Miroku. None of them had seen even a glimpse of Inu Yasha since Kagome had left a week before and they were all starting to worry. Sango was still angry with him but it was quickly fading. Her anger stemmed mostly from Inu Yasha never telling Kagome how he felt. Miroku had meditated on the matter for quite some time before coming to the conclusion that if Inu Yasha ever did return they would find Kagome and make him tell her what was in his heart. However, one thing seemed to be on everyone's mind; what if she found someone else before that happened.

"Keep your wandering hand off my backside monk." Sango warned.

Miroku sighed. "I have asked you over and over to call me by my name Lady Sango. Why can't you do that?"

"Because you're a hentai." Sango answered.

"A very weak answer." Kikyou stated and smiled when the exterminator huffed in annoyance.

"Well, maybe if a certain monk would stop groping me I wouldn't give him lumps on his head on a daily basis."

"Well, maybe if a certain youkai exterminator would notice that I only grope her then maybe things would be different."

Sango looked at him with an expression of pure shock as Miroku exited the hut to take his routine morning walk.

"I think he's very much in love with you Sango." Kikyou said softly.

Sango sighed. "I'm in love with him too. I promised myself that I wouldn't take a husband until the battle with Naraku was over. Now that it's over the one that I want to ask me…won't."

Kikyou reached over and placed a hand on Sango's shoulder. "Give it time. Perhaps he's just thinking of the right way to ask."

"I hope you're right."

Kirara chose that moment to hop into Kikyou's lap and meow at her. Kikyou looked down at the neko and giggled as Kirara put on her cutest face and started purring.

"I think that's my cue to finish breakfast." Kikyou said still giggling.

Sango laughed softly. "I'll help you."

xxx

Miroku moved away from the hut silently after hearing the conversation. He had to move his schedule up by a few days and headed straight for the hut of the village seamstress. He'd commissioned her to make a wedding kimono that would make a goddess green with envy for Sango. He was going to present it to her when he asked her to be his wife. It would only be a few more days until she was finished with the white silk wonder. On one occasion, Kagome had brought what she'd called a magazine that had some very beautiful wedding dresses in it. Sango had fallen in love with one of them and saved the picture with her belongings. When Miroku finally decided to commission the seamstress, he went through Sango's things and found the picture. The seamstress had been working on it for two months and was now almost done with it. Miroku was unsure if they would survive against Naraku but as luck would have it, they did. His first thought was to get back to the village and see about the progress of the gown. Well….maybe not his first thought but close enough.

The morning suddenly seemed a little brighter than before and Miroku started whistling a song he'd heard Kagome sing once as he walked. Things were definitely looking brighter for them, now if only a certain hanyou would take his head out of his ass and come back.

Miroku was still in a state of shock over the news that Kaede and Kikyou had given them. Kikyou had said clearly that Inu Yasha was indeed in love with Kagome. The only explanation that Kikyou could come up with for his actions was bruised pride. The only reason he was going to hell with Kikyou was because of a promise. Miroku had never known Inu Yasha to break a promise and for everything to happen as it did would have taken away the hanyou's honor. Sometimes Miroku had to wonder if that's all Inu Yasha thought he had.

At first Miroku had been angry with Inu Yasha. He had broken the heart of a very good friend. Nevertheless, in the past week, his anger had drained from his being, replaced with something close to pity. Inu Yasha had retaliated by destroying the well then told Kagome that he didn't want to see her again.

'But if he didn't want to see her again, then why did he destroy the well…her only way home.' Miroku thought. 'I can't help but wonder if he had a subliminal meaning behind that. Did he destroy it because he was angry, or did he destroy it because he really did want her to stay?'

Miroku shook his head in frustration and started whistling again. There were too many possibilities to this little situation and Inu Yasha was a very hard one to figure out on any level.

xxx

Kagura awoke that same morning to the warmth of another fire. There was an odd shaped pot sitting over it whistling softly.

"Good morning." Kagome said with a smile.

Kagura merely stared at the miko until a cup of tea was placed on the ground in front of her.

"Go ahead, it's not poisoned."

Kagura picked up the beverage and sipped it slowly. "You do know that the wolf will return to make sure I'm dead."

"I know, but we'll probably be long gone by then. You lost so much blood that he'll probably think you were eaten by some low level youkai and leave it at that."

Kagura snorted. "As if a low level was a match for me."

"It still wouldn't have been right to just leave you there for him to come back and finish you off later. You had no way to defend yourself. Your fan was destroyed during the final battle with Naraku. You've never led me to believe that you can control your wind powers without it."

"You're very observant." Kagura muttered.

Kagome kneeled down and helped her sit up a little better. With that done, Kagome gingerly opened the female's kimono to examine the wound. After removing the bandaging, she cleaned the almost healed wound and bandaged it again.

"You should be all right enough to travel if you feel up to it. It's almost completely healed but if you get tired along the way we can stop to rest." Kagome went through her bag and handed the other kimono to her. "You can wear this until we can get you something better."

Kagura slowly stood up and examined the kimono the miko had given her; it was plain, red with tiny white ivy leaves embroidered along the sleeves and hem. The obi was white as well with no decoration at all. Kagura shed her old kimono while Kagome went to wake up Shippou for breakfast. The kimono was a perfect fit and Kagura approved of the soft silky feel against her skin.

"You look really pretty in that kimono Kagura." Shippou said in a sleepy voice.

Kagura felt her face heat up for a moment then it was gone as suddenly as it came.

"Come on." Kagome said. "Let's have some breakfast then we'll head into the next village to see about getting you some new clothes and a fan."

Kagura was shocked that the miko would want to give her a weapon. Didn't she realize that could spell death for her? However, Kagura didn't want to kill her, she wanted someone to talk to. She wanted…she wanted someone to call her 'friend'. Perhaps this miko would be the one to do all of that for her.

xxx

HA! You all thought it would be Sesshoumaru that she would save didn't ya? PLOT TWIST! Yes I'm very evil, but don't worry, Sesshoumaru will be making an appearance soon enough. And the Shikon no Tama? Hmmmm….I think I'll save that for later. Don't worry Kouga fans, everyone's favorite wolf boy will be making another appearance. Well, that's all for now. Read and review, let me know what ya think.


	3. We Meet Again

I'm back for even more punishment. You all have made me very happy with your praise and constructive criticism so far. I thank you all once more for it. I will take this time to answer a few questions though. As for the time frame, Kagome had been traveling from the village for about a week before she stumbled on Kagura. When she actually left the village was in fact the day after they defeated Naraku. As for the wedding gown Miroku commissioned the seamstress to make, he actually got started on that about two months before the final battle. He wasn't sure if they would survive, but if they did he wanted to be ready to present it to Sango as a "Will you marry me" gift. Okay, I think that answers all the questions so far. Oh, on another note, Kanna (Naraku's other offspring) will not be making an appearance in this fic. Now that's all settled…read now. LOL.

Disclaimer: Grrrrrrrrr…..NO!

Chapter 3: We Meet Again

Kagome and Kagura continued on foot once they had finished eating breakfast. Shippou would run in between them from time to time chasing various insects and frowning comically when they got away from him.

"Why don't you show Kagura what you can do with your foxfire?" Kagome suggested.

Shippou nodded and created a flaming blue dragonfly. It flew around for a moment then vanished into thin air.

"Can you make anything bigger?" Kagura asked.

"I can but I can't hold it."

"He made a replica of Sesshoumaru out of his foxfire yesterday a few hours before we found you."

"Show me." Kagura stated.

Kagome took a seat on a fallen log on the side of the path while Shippou did as she asked. Kagura took note of his facial expression and frowned.

"You're concentrating too hard." Kagura said gruffly. "Do you concentrate on where your foxfire goes when you attack someone?"

"Not really." Shippou answered. "I just attack them and it goes where I want it to."

"Shoot it again then only think of what you want to see. Don't think too hard or it will disappear like the others."

Shippou looked unconvinced but did as she instructed. This time the foxfire took on the form of Kagura and Shippou relaxed his body, trying not to concentrate too much on it. The only thought in his head at the moment was Kagura and Kagome smiled at the little bit of progress he'd made once the image was gone.

"It wasn't that hard this time." The kitsune said.

"It will get easier." Kagura muttered and the three companions continued walking.

xxx

Kouga was running back to where he'd left Kagura. Indeed the wind youkai had been correct and he was returning to finish the job if she wasn't dead yet. But when he got to where she'd been there was no sign of her except a trail of blood from where Kagome had moved her. Following the obvious trail he found the remnants of a fire, still warm and two sets of footprints all over the campsite. One was human but the other was youkai, a kitsune to be exact. Kouga's eyes widened at this. He knew of only one human that traveled with a kitsune; Kagome, his woman, his mate to be.

Dropping down to all fours, he sniffed the ground to be sure. Standing back up he frowned and wondered what had happened. Had Kagome saved Kagura? Kouga shook his head in frustration.

'No, she wouldn't do that.' Kouga thought to himself. 'She knows that I have a score to settle with that bitch. If Kagura has hurt her in any way I'll kill her. Hell, I'm gonna kill her anyway so what's the difference?'

With that Kouga took off in the direction the foot prints had gone.

xxx

Miroku glided back into Kaede's hut with a very big smile on his face. Only two more days before Sango's wedding gift was completed. His smile never faltered as Kaede, Kikyou and Sango all gave him odd looks.

"Is there something wrong ladies?" he asked sweetly.

"What are you up to?" Sango demanded with a suspicious tone.

Miroku placed a hand over his heart and his eyes widened innocently. "Why Lady Sango, I'm hurt that you would think so low of me."

Sango growled while Kikyou smiled at Kaede knowingly. It was going to take much more than a growl and the constant threat of Hiraikotsu to get anything out of the monk this time. Sango could come close to even killing him yet the monk would not talk this time. He had prepared for everything the youkai exterminator could throw at him and had an answer for it. Much to their surprise, Sango got up and stepped outside to sharpen her sword without another word.

"How much longer?" Kaede whispered so Sango would not hear.

"Two days at most." Miroku whispered back. "Do you think she's catching on yet?"

Kaede shook her head. "No I do not. Ye have done well to keep so quiet about this."

Kikyou looked completely lost. "Is there something going on I should know about?" she asked.

Kaede looked at Miroku, who nodded once with an even wider grin on his face.

"Miroku commissioned the seamstress to make a very special wedding dress for Sango." Kaede said quietly. "He plans to present it to her when he asks for her hand."

Kikyou smiled and got a dreamy expression on her face. Miroku and Kaede stared for a moment as she looked exactly like Kagome in that instant.

"That's such a romantic idea." Kikyou whispered. "I just wish…never mind."

Miroku and Kaede knew what was on Kikyou's mind. Both had caught her on more than one occasion crying quietly. When they asked why she was crying she would merely look at them and answer: "Because Kagome cannot."

Kaede was convinced that somehow Kikyou was connected to Kagome in an emotional manner. Perhaps it was due to the soul they had shared, perhaps not. Kikyou refused to talk about it and kept what was going on to herself. But she would cry and, while working, smile softly at nothing in particular. Miroku and Sango had taken this as a sign that Kagome was still okay. The truth was that Kikyou and Kagome had formed an emotional bond with one another when Kagome brought her back. Kikyou had been conscious of this happening but Kagome had not. Kikyou decided to make herself as happy as possible in the hopes that perhaps Kagome would be the happy girl she once was. But it didn't seem to be working. Kagome's sadness was deep and not just from what Inu Yasha said to her the last time they spoke. This was something that had been going on since the young girl came to this era. The night Inu Yasha turned his back to her Kagome's heart literally shattered like the Shikon no Tama had and Kagome was the only one who could put the pieces of it back together. The question that needed answering was, did she want to. Did the young woman wish to wallow in the self-pity she'd wrapped herself in? Did she truly believe all the things Inu Yasha ever said about her? Kikyou's connection to Kagome held all the answers but Kikyou refused to delve into the girl's mind that way. She would wait and speak to her in private when the time came. After all, Kagome had promised to come back and visit with them once in a while. Kikyou was looking forward to that day.

xxx

Kagura was starting to tire so Kagome suggested that they rest and have a bit of lunch before moving on. Just as they got settled the three companions sensed a youkai in the area. Kagome drew her bow and arrow then signaled Shippou to find a safe place.

"Get ready Kagura." Kagome said. "This isn't going to be pretty."

At that moment a whirlwind came into view and Kouga landed in front of them with an expression that seemed to be a cross between relief and anger.

"What are you doing with my woman Kagura?" Kouga demanded. "I thought I'd come back and finish the job I started but you seem to be a little more resourceful than I gave you credit for."

"She's not doing anything." Kagome answered. "I found her in the forest and healed her wounds."

Kouga was shocked. "So you're a willing traveler with her?" He looked around. "Where's the mutt?"

Kagome's serious expression faltered for a moment before she caught herself. "He's off somewhere else. I haven't seen him for more than a week now."

Kouga grinned. "That's great news! I can finish off Kagura and take you as my mate once I'm finished."

Kagome raised her bow. "Don't make me stop you Kouga. You may be fast but I can't let you harm Kagura."

"You what? That bitch slaughtered my tribe and now you're protecting her!"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm not protecting her. Kagura is more than capable of taking care of herself but we have a deal that I will not back away from."

Kouga snorted. "What kind of deal is that?"

"In return for my help Kagura has given me a Life Debt. Until it is fulfilled you cannot kill her."

"Didn't think you had enough honor to invoke a Life Debt." Kouga sneered at Kagura. "Guess doing all Naraku's dirty work finally gave you a conscience. I just think it's pretty convenient that you suddenly find someone to invoke it upon knowing that I'm going to kill your sorry ass."

Kagura scowled at the wolf angrily. "I had no choice while I was a slave to Naraku. But the miko is right, I have given her a Life Debt and that cannot be broken."

Kouga approached Kagome and gently pushed her bow aside. "I will allow this because it is you Kagome. But if she hurts you let me know."

Kagome smiled at him. "I will, and thank you."

Kouga saw the sadness in her smile. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing important. I'm just glad that I still have you as a friend."

Kouga decided to drop the subject and looked at Kagura. "I mean it bitch! Hurt her and I'll waste no time at all spilling your blood."

As quick as they could blink, he was gone.

"I didn't need you to do that." Kagura fumed. "I could have fought him."

Kagome returned the arrow to the quiver on her back. "Yeah, you could have but I didn't really feel like watching you two fight over something so stupid. He blames you for the acts of Naraku against his tribe."

"Why did he keep calling you his woman?"

Kagome smiled. "He thinks he's in love with me and wants to mate with me but I only look at him as a friend; nothing more, nothing less."

"But yet you were still willing to shoot him with your enchanted arrows?" Kagura was completely confused.

"I wouldn't have shot him unless he attacked you."

Kagura left the subject alone and was startled when a cherry blossom landed on her shoulder. She looked up and almost smiled at the little kit above her in the tree.

"You can come down now." Kagura said. "The big bad wolf is gone."

Kagome giggled and opened her arms to her kit in a big hug. After they rested and ate they continued on their way. It wasn't too long after they started out again that they happened upon another village. Kagome took out a small purse that had some money that Sango and Miroku had given her just before she left them and paid for two new kimonos; one for Kagura and the other for herself. She also let Kagura purchase a fan and smiled when the wind youkai fell in love with a white fan that had a beautiful green dragon painted on it. Again Shippou noticed the way the unmated males looked at his adopted mother and smiled to himself. He couldn't understand why she thought she was ugly. But then again he'd heard Inu Yasha call her that so many times that she probably believed it now. Shippou would never say so but he actually missed the hanyou even though he was always mean.

The unlikely companions came to a fork in the road and looked at each other.

"Which way?" Kagome asked in an adventurous tone.

"I think right would be a good choice." Kagura said.

Shippou noticed which way the path went and agreed with her. "I think going right would be a good idea too."

Kagome shrugged. "Then right it is."

She didn't noticed which direction it was taking them in and she missed the look that Kagura and Shippou shared. They knew which way it went and Kagura was surprised that the kit would agree with her. It wasn't until the sun set that Kagome finally noticed where they were headed.

"We must be getting close to Sesshoumaru's territory." She said as Shippou started a fire.

"We are in Sesshoumaru's territory." Kagura responded and quickly glanced at Shippou.

Picking up her bow and arrows Kagome started into the woods. "I'm going to hunt us up some dinner. Don't kill each other while I'm gone."

"We won't Momma." Shippou answered.

As soon as she was gone Kagura looked over at Shippou. "Why did you agree with me about which direction to take?"

Shippou smiled. "No particular reason. I just remembered what you said about Sesshoumaru being interested in my mother and thought that by going right we would have a better opportunity of running into him."

Kagura frowned at him. "Are you that anxious for a father figure?"

"No, I just think that maybe Sesshoumaru would treat her better than Inu Yasha whether it be in friendship or something more."

'Smart kid.' Kagura thought to herself.

"What did the hanyou do to her that makes her so reluctant to speak of him?"

Shippou took a deep breath then slowly began to tell the wind youkai what had happened just before they left the village. Kagura's eyes became wider with every word the kitsune spoke and shook her head when he was finished with the tale.

"He had no right." Kagura hissed making Shippou jump in surprise.

"He should have gotten angry with me." Shippou said. "It was my fault that it happened."

Kagura shook her head again. "No kit. What happened was not and is not your fault. I have only known your mother for a short time but she is too kind to purposely do something of that nature. The very idea that the hanyou would treat her as such only shows that he does not believe she has any honor."

In the tree tops a lone figure sat conveniently listening in on the conversation. His silver hair swayed in the breeze and he too was in a state of shock over this bit of news. He had been following them since they entered his territory, watching them with rapt interest. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Kagura and the miko, Kagome had forged a friendship of sorts. As soon as he sensed their presence in his lands he'd hidden his scent and aura from them to find out what their purpose was. He was also surprised at what the kitsune had said as well. Was his interest in the miko that obvious? The two had resumed talking so he quieted his thoughts to listen some more.

"One thing that makes me curious." Kagura continued. "If he hurt her that badly then why doesn't she cry?"

Shippou frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I asked her that a few days after we started on our journey. She said that she didn't want to be weak anymore. Inu Yasha always told her that tears were a sure sign of weakness and called her pathetic when she did. I miss the way she used to be, when she'd show everyone what she was feeling. Now all I see is her laughter but sometimes it seems forced. It's almost like she's trying to be happy for my sake. I haven't seen her cry since the night before we left and I know she wants to. She wants to show her emotions but she's afraid that someone will call her weak or laugh at her. Inu Yasha called her an ugly reincarnation and I think she believes it's her emotions that make her that way."

Kagura looked sadly into the fire. She remembered watching the miko laugh before the final battle. The sound was so soft and full of life that Kagura had actually envied her for it. Her heart had been open for all the world to see and the hanyou had trampled it into the ground without any remorse. Kagura wasn't sure what she'd do if she ever saw the handsome hanyou again but she had a feeling it wouldn't be completely painless for him.

xxx

Kagome had stopped by a small creek to wash her hands and caught her reflection in the water. She stared at it sadly for a moment before angrily slapping it away. Kagome decided that she hated mirrors because all they did was reflect her ugly face back at her; a constant reminder of a truthful statement.

"I gotta get myself together." Kagome said softly. "I have to stop thinking about him and move on."

"And what, pray tell, are you moving away from?" a deep voice asked behind her.

Kagome stood up slowly and turned toward the owner of the voice. Her heartbeat picked up a pace as soon as her eyes fell on his angelic visage. His silver hair swayed in the constant breeze and his robs billowed around his body, plastering themselves to his tight muscles for a moment before settling down. He had a face that the gods would kill to possess, so handsome and beautiful at the same time that Kagome felt like melting right in front of him. Suddenly realizing where her thoughts were going she stomped them down. It wasn't right to think about the taiyoukai in such a manner when she knew he would never look at her like that. But she realized the feeling for what it was; desire and lust.

Sesshoumaru immediately smelled her arousal when she looked at him but it was soon replaced with anger then sadness.

"Answer my question." Sesshoumaru ordered.

"I decided to get away for a while and took Shippou with me. I thought that a journey on our own would do us some good."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Why do you lie to me?"

Kagome sighed and looked at the ground then shook her head. "I know it would be respectful to answer you truthfully but I ask you to give me this boon and not ask me again. It's too painful to even think about." She smiled up at him. "It is good to see you again though."

Sesshoumaru felt warmth in his chest but his unemotional mask didn't slip an inch. "And you as well…Kagome."

Kagome suddenly felt tears burn her eyes but she blinked rapidly and stomped those down as well. She wouldn't cry over the hanyou in front of Sesshoumaru, she refused. Sesshoumaru caught the very faint aroma of salt before it disappeared completely and watched as she rapidly blinked her eyes. Did she truly think herself weak or had the hanyou finally made her believe she was by repeating it so much?

"Come, I will accompany you back to your camp."

Kagome bent over to pick up the two rabbits she had caught but Sesshoumaru beat her to it and picked them up for her. Without a word she followed the youkai lord into the forest.

xxx

"I'm starting to get worried." Shippou said just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

"She will return." Kagura said softly. "She would not leave you."

Shippou seemed to relax and took out Kagome's sleeping bag to unroll it. A soft giggle came from the forest followed by an annoyed squawk. A moment later a little girl in an orange and white kimono ran out of the forest and made a bee line for Shippou.

"Shippou!" the little girl shouted.

Shippou smiled. "Hey Rin!"

The two children began babbling to each other just as Jaken stumbled out of the trees glaring at Rin.

"Lord Sesshoumaru told you to stay with Ah-Un girl." He stopped when he saw the kitsune sitting at a fire with none other that Kagura.

"Wench, get away from Rin this instant." Jaken yelled and used his staff of head to shoot fire at her.

Kagura decided to have a little fun and opened her fan slightly. The fire hit the protective wind barrier she formed in front of herself and redirected it back toward Jaken. Shippou and Rin laughed hysterically when the fire died down leaving a smudged Jaken in its wake.

"I have no intentions toward the girl." Kagura said with a smile. She was secretly happy that she'd made the children laugh. Closing her fan she turned back toward the fire to await Kagome's return; she didn't have to wait long.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked into camp and Jaken ran up to his master, throwing himself down at the taiyoukai's feet.

"Please forgive me Lord Sesshoumaru." Jaken pleaded. "But the girl ran away from me."

Sesshoumaru ignored his retainer and looked at the children who were engrossed in a game of tag. Their laughter lightened his own spirits and he wondered if Kagome would allow the kit to visit Rin once in a while.

"I take it she doesn't have the opportunity to play with children her own age a lot." Kagome inquired.

"No, when she does the human parents try to keep her from me when I return for her."

Kagome approached the fire after taking the rabbits from Sesshoumaru. "Why don't you join us tonight?"

Sesshoumaru merely sat down on the opposite side of the fire and eyed Kagura. "How is it that you have come to travel with the miko?"

Kagura was startled but answered. "She saved my life, I now owe her a Life Debt."

Kagome shook her head. "I only invoked that so Kouga wouldn't kill you."

"What ever reason you invoked the Life Debt; I am bound to honor it. My life is yours and yours is in my hands. No one will kill you while I live."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Indeed, the Life Debt is a very serious matter for all youkai Kagome. Once it is invoked it cannot be reversed until you either die of old age or the debtor is killed themselves."

"I didn't think it was that serious. I only wanted to keep Kouga from killing Kagura."

"A very clever way to keep him from exacting his revenge." Sesshoumaru said with a small smile in her direction.

Kagome went back to work on the rabbits while the children continued to play. Once she had dinner roasting over the camp fire she dug through her bag and took out two canteens.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get some water."

"No." Kagura said. "I will get it. Besides," she took a feather from her hair. "I can get there and back much faster."

Kagome handed her the canteens and Kagura was gone in a gust of wind, her feather moving delicately on the breeze. Jaken had moved so he could keep a better eye on Rin while Sesshoumaru watched Kagome.

"Why do you not travel with the hanyou?" Sesshoumaru asked. "I was certain that he would have marked you by now."

Kagome looked up at him; her expression was one of infinite sadness. "He decided that he didn't want me, that he would rather have Kikyou."

"So he chose death and followed her to hell." Sesshoumaru responded, knowing the story already but he wanted to know how she would tell it.

"No, he was going to and I stopped him but not in the way I wanted. When I fired one of my enchanted arrows into the portal she had opened my aim was thrown off accidentally when Shippou jumped up on my back. The arrow hit Kikyou instead of the portal, killing her."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "He turned you away."

"Yes. He also destroyed my only way home then told me he never wanted to see me again. I did as he requested but not before I used the Shikon no Tama to bring Kikyou back to life for him. I suspect they're very happy together now and probably have already mated."

"Why were you slapping at your reflection in the water?"

Kagome turned the rabbits over and tried to ignore the question.

"Did he tell you that you were unattractive?"

Kagome froze and started blinking her eyes rapidly again. The soft way Sesshoumaru asked the question made her want to sob uncontrollably. Sesshoumaru had his answer and decided not to press the issue. He watched the children as they ran around the campsite, laughing and giggling.

"I am curious. Would you be will to bring Shippou to my home so Rin can have someone her age to be around?"

"Of course." Kagome answered without hesitation. "But he never goes anywhere without me."

"The invitation was open to you and Kagura as well."

"Oh, in that case I think it would be a very good idea to let Shippou visit with Rin once in a while."

Sesshoumaru nodded once and the conversation ended there as Kagura returned with the canteens. Rin and Shippou came running up to them with happy expressions. Rin sat down beside Sesshoumaru while Shippou crawled up into Kagome's lap. Kagura handed the canteens to Kagome and sat down herself. Dinner was a quiet affair and Sesshoumaru turned down the offering of food but Jaken was surprised when Kagome offered to share with him as well. Kagura also turned down the offering of food, finding herself not very hungry. Once dinner was done, the left over rabbit was packed away and Kagome put the kids in her sleeping bag since they'd passed out as soon as they were finished. She offered the blanket to Kagura, who declined, then to Sesshoumaru, who also declined. Shrugging her shoulders Kagome spread it out on the ground close to the fire and curled up in it. It wasn't long before she too had fallen asleep.

"How much of the conversation between the kit and I did you hear?" Kagura asked.

"Enough to know that the hanyou is a fool." Sesshoumaru answered.

"I know that you are attracted to her." Kagura stated. "But I have to wonder why. It is very common knowledge that you cannot stand humans with the exception of your ward."

Sesshoumaru did not answer and stared into the fire for a bit before getting up and moving away from its warmth. Kagura watched him as he kept silent vigil over the camp for the rest of the night. The wind youkai knew he did not have to but the very idea that he did so willingly made her wonder just how much he cared for the emotionally scarred miko. Perhaps the stoic youkai was exactly what Kagome needed to mend her shattered heart. With this knowledge Kagura began to think of a plan to get them together and realized that she would need the help of Rin and Shippou to get it done. She was certain that they would be willing to help with her idea.

xxx

YAY! Chapter three done and Kami only knows how many more to go. If you have any feedback or ideas to give let me know. Remember I'm here for your enjoyment as well as my own. Well, gotta go start my work on chapter four so keep the reviews coming. Ja ne!


	4. Return

staring inside empty hentai closet I guess it's getting close to time for me to track down Sesshoumaru again but not for a few more chapters. I'm glad that all of you are enjoying the angle I've decided to take with this particular fiction. At first I wasn't sure if it would take but it seems to be doing pretty well on its own. For all you hentai's out there, this fiction will contain lemons but not yet. Again, for my readers at fanfiction dot net, the lemons will be posted elsewhere, you know the drill. Email me for the link and I will send it to you. Now, Kagome is still in love with Inu Yasha but she's starting to sway a little bit. Keep your ideas coming and keep giving me the feedback. In other words, review. LOL

Disclaimer: Oh gee, I don't own it.

Chapter 4: Return

Kagome was awoken early by Shippou and Rin. She noticed that neither Sesshoumaru nor Kagura had slept at all. After standing up to stretch, Kagome began making preparations to break camp. Kagura surprised Kagome by asking if she could take the children down to the river for a bath before they continued on their way. Sesshoumaru and Kagome both agreed and soon the two were alone because Jaken had gone with them, not trusting Kagura in the slightest.

"Where will you go?" Sesshoumaru asked as Kagome finished putting everything in her big yellow bag.

"We're not really sure." Kagome answered. "We're just taking it one day at a time with no real destination in mind."

Sesshoumaru watched as she moved about with her work then broke the silence once more.

"You did not answer my question last night."

Kagome looked up at him, knowing which question he was referring to and had hoped that he wouldn't bring it up again. Sometimes she was convinced that the youkai lord was naturally curious.

"If you're talking about what Inu Yasha thought of my looks…yes, he called me ugly."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I have heard him call you much worse before but this seems to hurt you more than the others."

Kagome shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter now. He made his choice and asked me to leave so I did."

Sesshoumaru was still confused. The hanyou had told her he didn't want anything to do with her, told her that he never wanted to see her again yet destroyed her only way home. He had been certain that Inu Yasha also harbored feelings for the young woman and had chosen to keep his distance because of that. If he'd known differently then he would have made his intentions known before now.

"You believe him."

Kagome's eyes became lifeless pools of blue. "He's never lied to me."

'Now we are getting somewhere. He had never told her a lie so why would he suddenly start.' Sesshoumaru thought to himself.

The children started screaming making Sesshoumaru and Kagome jump to their feet. Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows along with her sword and ran back toward the river. Sesshoumaru put her on his back and they got there in a matter of seconds.

xxx

Kagura had been talking quietly with the children about her plan when they'd been attacked. It had come upon them suddenly and Kagura had actually been taken by surprise. They were being attacked by about seven worm youkai that had come up out of the ground. They were only low level but in a large group there was a slim chance that Kagura would make it out alive. She quickly moved out of the way of their tails and very sharp teeth while she fought them back long enough for the children to get away. A scream from the girl Rin had been enough to tell her that they hadn't got their chance. The two young ones had been caught up in one worm's tail and was slowly squeezing the life out of them.

Kagome left her bow and arrows on her back and drew her sword out of the folds of her kimono as they got closer. With no hesitation she leapt toward the one that held the children and purified her sword just before she cut through the tail of the disgusting creature. Shippou and Rin immediately ran into the woods where they would be safer. Sesshoumaru pulled Toukijin and began to slay multiple youkai with a single stroke while Jaken and Kagura tried to keep the others from following the children.

"Where is the end to these fucking things?" Kagura demanded as even more began to surface.

"We must be on top of their nest." Sesshoumaru said coldly and destroyed yet another.

Kagome kept her sword gripped tight in her hand, purifying one worm youkai at a time. She remembered Sango telling her once that worm youkai never left their nests for the surface unless they felt threatened in some way.

Kagome threw all of her purification abilities into her sword and thrust it into the ground. The earth began to glow a soft pink as she used her miko abilities to destroy any of the youkai still in the ground beneath them. When that was done the only ones left were the ones that had made it to the surface, the nest was destroyed. Kagura was impressed with the miko's fast thinking as was Jaken though he'd never admit it. None of them noticed the largest of the group dive back down into the earth once the purified energy had faded. None of them felt the earth shift and none of them were expecting what happened next.

The earth beneath Kagome's feet buckled and she screamed as the huge worm burst up out of the ground with her in its teeth. Kagome screamed again as the worm began thrashing its head from side to side as if trying to rip her in half. She dropped her sword and the other worms moved in quickly, all chanting one word: Shikon.

Kagura rushed forward and attacked the worm that had her friend in its jaws, cutting it in half while Sesshoumaru started making short work of the rest. Kagura caught Kagome as she fell. The miko was bleeding badly but still conscious. Sesshoumaru continued to cut down the last few worm youkai while Kagura moved Kagome to a safer position. Finally all was quiet except for the sounds of the running river and Kagome's heavy breathing. She winced then gasped as something actually fell out of her open side and rolled across the ground. Weakly she reached out her hand and gingerly picked it up. Sesshoumaru ignored it and drew Tensaiga. Kagura wanted to stop him but knew what the sword was capable of so she forced herself to remain still. Very slowly Kagome's wounds closed but the miko continued to stare at the object in her hand with an expression of sadness.

"This is what they were after." She whispered.

"The Shikon no Tama! It came out of your body?" Kagura asked.

Kagome nodded and winced when Sesshoumaru lifted her in his arms. "I wanted it to stay gone forever; I wanted to be free of it."

Sesshoumaru watched as she passed out, her head falling against his chest.

"Come." Sesshoumaru barked and took to the sky.

Kagura removed a feather from her hair and was soon flying by Sesshoumaru's side with the children and Jaken. The wind youkai tried to comfort the children as best as she could. She'd never been around children before so this was a new experience for her. Rin and Shippou hugged her waist and Kagura hesitantly put her arms around them. Jaken kept an extra sharp eye on her while she embraced Rin. The toad knew that Sesshoumaru would tolerate her presence only for Kagome's sake and no one else's. So there must be a measure of trust between them but Jaken had to be convinced before he would ever trust an offspring of Naraku.

Sesshoumaru flew toward his home occasionally looking down at the sleeping miko. He was curious as to why she hadn't awoken yet but the shock of losing so much blood was most likely the cause. His gaze moved to her hand that was still tightly clenched around the Shikon no Tama. The expression on her face when she realized what it was seemed to scream complete and utter defeat. She'd spent almost five years putting it back together and wished on it only to have it reappear again. She had found a sense of freedom from the responsibility only to have it pushed upon her again due to circumstances beyond her control. It was also another reminder of her time with the hanyou that had broken her heart.

Sesshoumaru didn't know how humans could have so many emotions. But the beautiful miko in his arms had always held out her heart for the world to share. Now she was afraid of someone calling her weak and making her hurt even more. Her openness was one of the factors that attracted Sesshoumaru's attention to begin with. How the hanyou could have called her ugly when in his eyes she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on was beyond him.

After a few hours they came within sight of Sesshoumaru's castle home. He was hesitant about bringing Kagura here but she would not leave Kagome's side. The Life Debt prevented him from leaving her behind and breaking the bond between the two females so he had no choice but to tolerate it. They landed in the main courtyard beyond the perimeter walls and Sesshoumaru immediately headed toward the entrance.

"See that the kit and Kagura are given rooms." Sesshoumaru ordered Jaken without turning back.

The youkai lord didn't wait for a response and walked inside. He motioned for one of the female servants to come with him and they went to the hot springs in the center of his castle. The servant took Kagome inside while Sesshoumaru waited in the corridor. The servant opened the door sometime later with a clean Kagome wearing a simple white silk yukata. Taking her back from the servant, he went up the stairs to the sleeping chambers. Entering a room he gently placed the still slumbering miko on soft bed. Sitting beside her, he watched her lovely face for a while before forcing himself to leave the room to have his midday meal. Upon entering the dining room he saw Kagura, Shippou and Rin already seated and waiting for his arrival.

"Is she all right?" Kagura asked.

Sesshoumaru waited until he was seated before answering. "She still sleeps."

Everyone at the table fell into silence, even Rin. They all took it to mean bad news but Sesshoumaru could smell her scent and knew that she was only in a very deep sleep. If all went well he hoped that she would be awake by the next morning.

xxx

Kikyou looked at Kaede's supply of herbs and decided to take the gathering basket to get more from the forest. She hadn't bothered to put her hair up that morning and opted instead for a loose braid. After getting her bow and arrows she walked into the cool green canopy of the forest. It promised to be a beautiful day and Kikyou wanted to enjoy a little bit of it alone while she could. Here and there she found what she needed and when she looked up at the sky again she was surprised to see that it was almost noon. Kaede would be starting to make lunch soon but Kikyou wanted to gather a bit more before returning. On a whim she walked deeper into the forest and found herself next to the God Tree. Gingerly she touched the place where Inu Yasha had been pinned for fifty years. She had thought she loved him but Naraku had taught them that if they couldn't trust one another then they didn't have the love needed for the both of them to survive the relationship.

Kikyou sighed and stepped back from the old tree. It was definitely amazing how things worked out in the end. Deciding that she'd spent enough time gathering, Kikyou started back toward the village. She was only a few feet from the tree when an unexpected voice stopped her.

"Why are you still here?"

Kikyou heard the voice, heard the lonely sadness and regret in it. She then realized that she was downwind from him so he wouldn't really be able to tell who she was. Sango and Miroku had told her on more than one occasion that she looked a lot like Kagome from the back but the faces were so different. Kikyou's had a serene air to it while Kagome's expressions mirrored her child like outlook on life in general.

"Aren't you gonna answer me?"

Kikyou took a deep breath and stared straight ahead. "I would if I was the one you were talking to."

The miko slowly turned around to face the one that had mistaken her for someone else. The golden eyes watching her widened in panic and surprise when she finally faced him.

"K-Kikyou?"

Kikyou smiled softly at him. "Your friends are not very happy with you right now. They are not angry any longer, they just want to know why you hurt Kagome the way you did."

"How can you be here?" Inu Yasha demanded, hopping down from the tree's branches. "Kagome killed you with her arrow the night we defeated Naraku."

"Inu Yasha, do you remember anything that happened that night?"

Inu Yasha frowned. "Of course, you called for me so I came to see what you wanted. You embraced me then Kagome shot you with her arrow."

Kikyou shook her head sadly. "I was trying to drag you to hell with me. I had put you in a trance so you couldn't fight back and Kagome stopped me from doing it but not in the way she had intended."

Inu Yasha was suddenly afraid; afraid for Kagome.

"After you destroyed the well she cried but you already know that I'm sure. The next day she used the Shikon no Tama to bring me back and give me a soul of my own. Kaede told me that her original wish was to give me a new soul. That's why she stopped me from taking you to hell. She was trying to close the portal I had opened when her kitsune son hopped up on her back, throwing her aim off. She accidentally shot me instead of closing the portal."

"But that doesn't explain why you're back." Inu Yasha whispered growing more fearful by the moment.

Kikyou suddenly looked angry. "She brought me back because she thought you loved me. After the way you treated her I can't see any reason for her to think otherwise. You called her ugly, told her that she could no longer look at you as a friend then destroyed her only way home after telling her you never wanted to see her again! What would you think? Or can you even fathom what that would feel like?" Kikyou took a deep calming breath. "She loved you Inu Yasha and you ran her down like the youkai you slew while gaining the pieces of the Shikon."

Inu Yasha lowered his head. "I came back to apologize to her and hoped that maybe…"

"You hoped that she would someday accept you again and become your mate?"

"Yeah." He answered softly. "Can you tell me where she is?"

Kikyou shook her head. "I can't tell you. After she wished me back she took the kitsune and left the village. No one knows where she is."

"Why didn't anyone stop her?" Inu Yasha demanded hotly.

"Because she didn't want anyone to follow her and promised to return. You see, even though you were angry with her she still tried to make you happy."

Inu Yasha sighed sadly. "I guess I should go ahead and face Sango, Miroku and Kaede. But to be honest I'd rather face Kagome and the threat of her 'sits' before facing them."

Kikyou giggled softly. "I doubt that Kagome would 'sit' you that much."

"You don't know Kagome."

Kikyou suddenly stopped and looked toward the west.

"What is it?" Inu Yasha asked.

"The Shikon no Tama." Kikyou whispered. "It's back."

"Where?"

"It's with Kagome, to the west."

Inu Yasha looked in the general direction and hoped that she was all right. If they wished too, he would see if he could Sango and Miroku to help him look for her tomorrow. The hardest part would be getting through their questioning. Once that was done he was sure everything would be okay.

xxx

Sesshoumaru had retired to his study after the midday meal and came out only to have dinner then retreated back to his work. Rin had come in to give him a good night hug then left him alone once more. He looked up from the many documents on his desk to rest his eyes and leaned back in the chair to look out the huge window at his territory beyond. His mind started to wander when an ear piercing scream and the sound of something breaking shattered the silence.

Sesshoumaru was on his feet and up the stairs in seconds. Going to the room he'd placed Kagome in, he saw the children, Kagura and Jaken clustered around it. He told them to return to what they were doing and waited for them to leave. When he opened the door he was assaulted by the sharp smell of blood; her blood. Closing the door behind him he saw that she was no longer in bed but standing in front of what used to be a mirror while looking at her hand. Her knuckles were covered in blood and she seemed rather entranced by it. She suddenly looked up, her ebony hair bouncing around her face. He looked into her eyes and saw fear staring back at him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to wake you."

Sesshoumaru took her hand and led her to the small basin of water sitting next to the closet. "You did not wake me. But it would be rather difficult to sleep since you have been occupying my bed."

Kagome looked up at him as he poured water over her hand. "Why did you put me in here? I don't want to take your sleep from you."

Sesshoumaru examined her hand before carefully bandaging it. "If I had wanted to sleep I would have lay down beside you and done so."

"Hentai." Kagome whispered making Sesshoumaru smile.

"I assure you Kagome; my intentions would have been honorable." He led her back to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "Would you mind explaining the broken mirror?"

Kagome looked down at her bare feet. "I was startled by my reflection."

"Startled or disgusted?" Sesshoumaru asked starting to feel a little angry.

"Disgusted." She admitted sadly. "I'll pick up the mess."

Sesshoumaru shot to his feet and grabbed her by the arms, shaking her slightly. "Where is the strong willed, happy woman that defeated Naraku?" he demanded. "Did you let one hanyou destroy your sense of self worth that much or are you hoping that he will come to his senses and proclaim his love?"

Kagome stared up at him, her mouth opening and closing listlessly.

"You are beautiful Kagome." He continued softly. "The hanyou probably does not realize what he threw away."

Kagome shook her head and backed away from him. "I'm not beautiful; he told me so. I'm just a weak…ugly…human…"

She ran from the room as fast as her feet could carry her. She didn't know where she was going and didn't care. Sesshoumaru supposedly hated humans so why was he being so kind to her? Why was he telling her she was beautiful when his half brother had told her she was ugly? Was he right? No, he couldn't be. Inu Yasha had never lied to her about anything, except the first time she saw him turn human during the new moon. He'd told her he lied about her scent being a stench but that was the only thing that she knew of.

Kagome found herself in the garden; quickly finding a secluded spot, she curled up on the grass and tried to make herself as small as possible. She had run from him to hide her tears, she didn't want anyone to see her cry. Trying to get a better hold on herself, she fought the onslaught of emotions. A pair of arms snaked around her, making her jump slightly as Sesshoumaru lifted her into his lap. He held her close to his chest, stroking her hair and back. He had followed her flight from him, wanting more than anything to erase that heartbreaking look from her eyes.

"Cry Kagome." He said softly. "I will not ever call you weak for doing so. Cry for your heart, let it heal and open its doors for someone else to come in."

Kagome fisted her hands in his haori and violently shook her head. "I can't."

"Let me in Kagome." He continued. "Open your heart to me as you did to him."

Kagome squeezed her eyes closed as he said everything her aching heart longed to hear. He cared, much to her shock he actually cared for her. He wanted to ease her pain. This is what she had wanted from Inu Yasha but he'd refused to give it to her. She felt her eyes burn as she remembered the first time she'd seen Inu Yasha and Kikyou together. She remembered her promise to always be by his side. The love she held for him had been pushed back so he could be free to love Kikyou but she had dared to hope that he would one day return her affections. Even as she made her wish to bring Kikyou back she had hoped that he would suddenly appear and beg her not to make it. But Kagome couldn't hate Kikyou for anything. The older miko was Inu Yasha's first love and she could never compete with that.

"There were so many times that I wished I could trade places with her." Kagome whispered. "Even if it was only once just so I could know what it felt like to be cherished. I just wanted him to l-love m-m…"

Sesshoumaru held her even closer as she started to cry. Never in his long life had he wanted to commit murder over such a thing. In his arms sat a broken hearted woman who had been shunned by the one she perhaps loved more than life itself. She had done so much for him and gotten nothing in return. Her heart had been screaming Inu Yasha's name and the hanyou ignored it, choosing instead to run her down and crack her strong front. The hanyou did not deserve her tears or her love.

Moving very carefully, Sesshoumaru picked her up and moved them to a different area of the garden. Kagome's sobs had subsided and she lifted her tear stained face when the scent of roses found its way to her nose. She gasped when she found herself surrounded by roses of every shade and size. Red roses bloomed full under the moonlight along with white, pink, yellow, blue and black roses. It was very beautiful and Kagome wanted nothing more at that moment then to find a nice cozy spot to curl up and sleep; after all they were her favorite flower.

"It's breathtaking." She whispered.

"This is my sanctuary." Sesshoumaru informed her. "This is where I come when my heart is heavy."

He placed Kagome's feet on the ground and plucked a fully bloomed red rose. After removing the thorns, he placed it in her hair above her left ear.

"Perfect." He whispered. "You belong here Kagome. You belong in this garden."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't. This place is beautiful, I could never belong here."

"Yes you do. You are like the lotus flower, a rarity as these roses."

"I don't understand."

"The lotus flower blooms in the mud, the thicker the mud the more beautiful the lotus blooms. This rose garden is an adversity much like the lotus. The bloom more beautifully under the light of the moon, though it is the sun they first awaken with. You are like that Kagome; your beauty comes forth when your heart is open. Even through the hardest times you remained true to yourself and that made you even more beautiful than before. When you bloom the whole world knows of your beauty."

Kagome wanted to cry again after he was finished. He actually made her believe that she was beautiful but that lingering doubt in the back of her mind kept her from it. Taking her by the hand he led her to a tree and sat down, pulling her down into his lap once more. The stars twinkled high above them and they spent the rest of the night pointing out the constellations they knew although by different names and telling their own stories concerning them. Directly above them, two stars streaked across the night sky in perfect synchronization.

xxx

YAY! Chapter four finally reposted. I didn't want to rush Kagome and Sesshoumaru into a relationship too quickly. Oh, and don't worry…Inu Yasha's home coming will not be a completely nice one. There's a bit of Inu bashing ahead so keep your shirts on. Until next time. Ja ne!


	5. Homecomings,Wedding Gowns & Tail Chasing

This is so awesome! Well, this fic is going slow right now but the adventure part of it all will be coming soon. I wanted to take some time to concentrate on the romance aspect of it first. I know that Sesshoumaru has been OOC the last couple chapters but he's still the cold youkai lord that we all know and love. That will become evident as the story moves along. Kagome is not going to just suddenly fall for him either, it will take some time. On that note, sit back and relax, and enjoy the fic. Ja ne!

Disclaimer: I'm not gonna say it because you already know.

Chapter 5: Homecomings, Wedding Gowns and Tail Chasing

Sango had awoken earlier that day with no Miroku in sight. Kikyou had gathered herbs in the forest the day before so there was nothing really to do. It was getting close to lunch time when Kikyou returned the day before with a secretive smile on her face. When asked about it Kikyou said that she had a surprise for all of them the following morning.

"What is it that you made us wait until this morning for?" Sango asked.

Kikyou looked at the exterminator and took a deep breath. "There is someone outside that wishes to speak with you and Miroku."

Sango glared at the door for a moment before getting up and calmly walking out. The next few sounds that drifted into the hut sounded particularly painful making Kaede and Kikyou rush out to stop the exterminator. The picture that greeted them was Sango standing over Inu Yasha with her fists balled and the hanyou sitting on the ground holding his head.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she yelled at him finally giving voice to her frustration. "Do you have any idea what you did to her?"

She raised her fist to hit him again when it was grabbed by the wrist. Sango looked over her shoulder to see Miroku restraining her.

"I think he knows Lady Sango." Miroku said softly. "He has voiced no protest to your words or actions. Let him be for now and we will give him a chance to tell his side of the story."

Sango nodded once. "You're right Miroku. The one punching him should be Kagome; not me."

"Would ye care to join us for breakfast Inu Yasha?" Kaede asked.

Silently, Inu Yasha got up and followed the elder miko inside along with Sango. Miroku gathered up a fairly large bundle wrapped in pink silk and Kikyou smiled.

"Is that it?" she whispered.

"Yes it is. I hope she likes it." Miroku answered softly.

"You are going to make her a very happy woman." Kikyou stated and went inside with the others.

Miroku smiled and followed. After setting the mysterious bundle aside, he sat down between Sango and Inu Yasha to enjoy breakfast. The silence of the meal was broken when Kirara decided to make herself at home in the hanyou's lap. She lay there and closed her eyes; her purring seemed to relax everyone's already frayed nerves.

"Where have you been all this time?" Miroku asked. "We were starting to wonder if you would ever return."

Inu Yasha had declined to eat even though he'd been served a good helping. The bowl sat in front of him on the floor completely untouched.

"I've been around." He said finally. "Kikyou told me that Kagome left the village."

Sango was watching him and noticed that his voice was very low but everyone still heard him.

"She left a little more than a week ago." Sango responded. "There's no telling where she is now but she did promise to come back and visit."

"We may have to go find her." Kikyou stated.

Miroku looked at the younger miko. "Why is that Lady Kikyou?"

"The Shikon no Tama has reappeared. I can sense it is with Kagome somewhere in the west. It is safe for now."

"But Kagome made the wish." Sango said. "It vanished after she brought you back."

"Perhaps the wish she made wasn't enough." Kaede offered.

"What do you mean Kaede?" Kikyou asked.

"When Kagome made her wish it was for the happiness of another. There is a chance that her wish only used up a fraction of the Shikon's power and it returned to her body to wait a time when all of its power would be needed."

"But why so soon?" Miroku asked. "Naraku is gone, everyone is happy-"

Kaede shook her head. "The Shikon no Tama is a part of Kagome as much as she is a part of it. The jewel is needed not for its power this time, but its comfort."

"How can a jewel like that comfort someone?" Sango inquired.

"It isn't Kagome that needs comforting." Kaede answered. "The jewel is awaiting her to make the wish that will comfort her soul. But Kagome will not make that kind of wish to satisfy her own happiness thinking it selfish to want something for herself."

Everyone lowered their eyes as they remembered the selfless young woman who only wanted to see others happy. Inu Yasha lowered his head until his bangs lay low over his eyes. This was his entire fault; he didn't need to hear that from any of them. Kagome wouldn't be going through this now if it hadn't been for him. The night she'd shot Kikyou he'd watched her from the other side of the village as she burned her books and uniform in Kaede's hut. The look in her eyes had been enough to bring him out of his angry stupor for a moment before it settled in on him again. Her eyes had been completely dead while she performed those acts. He'd done that to her and now he had to do something to make her feel like her old self again. Maybe he could even get her to forgive him.

"We should find her and bring her back along with the jewel." Inu Yasha said quietly. "At least this way the jewel would be protected and Kagome wouldn't be attacked."

Miroku shook his head. "As much as I want to agree with you Inu Yasha, I think it may be best to leave Kagome be for right now. If she sees us she may run away even further. She left us specific instructions not to follow her and we will abide by her wishes for now."

Inu Yasha got up and moved away from the fire to sit against the wall. Kirara followed him and settled back in his lap. He absently stroked the youkai's fur and silently agreed to go along with what Miroku had said. He could only hope that Kagome was okay and that where ever she was, she was happy.

xxx

Kagome awoke to a big soft bed and silk sheets tucked in around her. She realized that it wasn't the same room as before and was secretly glad though the idea of waking up next to Sesshoumaru was a pleasant one. Kagome's eyes shot open all the way and she sat up in bed.

"Where the heck did that thought come from?" she asked aloud.

"I wouldn't know." A female voice said from the other side of the room. "I'm not a mind reader."

Kagome looked up and smiled as she saw Kagura leaning against the window sill.

"Good morning to you too Kagura." Kagome responded a bit sarcastically but the smile she wore actually reached her eyes.

"More like 'Good Afternoon'." Kagura responded. "I was beginning to think that you were never going to wake up."

"What! It's the afternoon?" Kagome shrieked and got out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"The mighty Sesshoumaru told me to let you sleep; so I did. Had I known you would sleep this long I would have stayed with the children in the garden."

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry Kagura. I truly didn't mean to sleep for so long. I fell asleep in the garden last night and I guess one of the servants brought me up here."

The miko wasn't about to tell anyone that she most likely fallen asleep in Sesshoumaru's lap and he'd been the one to bring her back to bed. Most likely he would deny it anyway so everyone would continue thinking he was as coldhearted as he had appeared in the past. Kagura turned away from her to hide her own smile. She'd seen Sesshoumaru carry the young woman to this room just a few hours before dawn. Kagome knew, as she did, that if anyone were to ever confront Sesshoumaru about it he would deny it and probably kill the one asking.

"Well, let's get you down to the dining room and eat something. The Ice Prince left specific instructions to take you to him once you were awake and fed."

Kagome smiled as she thought of how well that went over with the wind youkai.

"Have you seen my yellow pack?" Kagome asked.

"It's in the closet." Kagura answered. "But a servant came in earlier and laid out a kimono for you to wear."

Kagome looked over at the vanity where Kagura pointed and saw a gorgeous baby blue kimono embroidered with soft pink roses. She wondered why there wasn't an obi until she lifted it up to look at it. The sleeves were see through and the same shade of blue as the kimono. The bodice of the garment laced up the back from waist to neck and made a large bow at the small of the back. The neckline was high and would fit around her throat like a turtleneck. It looked like something that had walked right out of Victorian England with a Japanese touch.

"This is too much." Kagome whispered. "There's no way I can wear something this fancy."

"Sesshoumaru sent the servant down here to pick it out for you so he obviously wants you to wear it."

Kagura smiled inwardly; she wasn't about to tell the miko that she and the children had helped the servant pick out the garment. Rin and Shippou figured that in order for Kagome to feel pretty again she had to look pretty. Kagura was surprised at their eagerness to help her. A little more than a week before she had been considered an enemy to both and now they acted like none of it had ever happened. Was this what forgiveness was, to conveniently forget ones past sins and embrace them openly with a clean slate? If it was Kagura never wanted the feeling to go away.

"Kagura, can you help me with this?" Kagome asked with a deep red blush.

Kagura took the yukata and the breast binder the other female had been wearing and lay them aside then started lacing up the back of the dress. When she was done she picked up a brush and started running it through the snarls in Kagome's long black hair.

"I'm not going to break." Kagome whined. "I can do things for myself."

Kagura ignored her and continued to brush the young woman's hair until it sparkled. "There, all ready to meet with Mr. Personality."

Kagome giggled at the dry comment but stopped when Kagura fastened the Shikon no Tama around her neck. She looked at it and noticed that it glowed a little brighter than before she made the wish to bring Kikyou back. After putting on a pair of soft blue slippers, Kagura turned her around and forced her to look in the mirror. Kagome was shocked at how well the dress fit her. The bodice hugged her in all the right places and for a moment a bit of her old fire returned. For a split second Kagome actually thought she looked beautiful. But that thought was pushed aside. She wasn't beautiful regardless of what Sesshoumaru had told her she knew the truth. He hated weakness and he hated humans; he was probably just being nice to keep her from crying.

'But if he hates humans then why does he care for Rin? If he hates weakness then why did he let you cry on his shoulder?'

Kagome ignored the voice inside her head and followed Kagura out of the room. There was a servant waiting for them when they exited. They were led down the long corridor to a stair way that Kagome remembered running down the night before in a futile attempt to hide her weakness from the world. Now she was surprised that she didn't fall and break her neck during her flight. The servant led them to the dining room where there was a small assortment of fruits and what smelled like fish and rice with miso soup. Kagome sat and ate little, her appetite had been very wane in the past days since her departure from the village and now her diet was used to it. She knew that if she ate it all she would make herself ill so she had a little of everything then searched the fruit bowl until she found something that made her mouth water; persimmons. Quickly snatching up one, she bit into savoring its sweet taste and smooth texture. Kagura watched her as she removed one of the seeds encased in a gel like substance and put it in her mouth. She took it back out of her mouth a moment later without the gel and placed it on her half eaten plate. Kagome looked a little disappointed once the fruit was gone but she scoured the bowl again and found one more towards the bottom. Sitting back down she ate this one a little slower, closing her eyes every time she took a bite from it.

"That was so good." Kagome drawled. "I hope they get more of those."

Kagura smiled and the two of them left the dining room to meet with Sesshoumaru.

xxx

Sesshoumaru looked up from the scrolls on his desk when the door to his study opened and Kagome stepped in. If he hadn't possessed so much control his jaw would have dropped at the sight of her. The servant that picked out her garment had done a fine job indeed. The soft blue matched her eyes and hair perfectly and the pink roses only seemed to bring out the ivory of her skin. In short; she was breathtaking. Sesshoumaru returned his attention to the document for a moment and waited for her to sit in the chair across from him. When he didn't hear her move he looked up again and saw her standing there with her hands together, clasping them so tight her knuckles were white.

"Please sit." He said and watched as she moved silently across the room to sit in the chair across from him.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" she inquired.

Sesshoumaru rolled up the scroll he had been perusing and leaned back in his chair. "I chanced upon the children this morning in the library. Your kit, Shippou, was trying to teach Rin to read a book. I have Jaken to teach her these things but she seems reluctant. With the kit she seemed very eager to learn the words of the little book and I was curious as to where he learned to read."

Kagome blushed. "I taught him a little bit. We started off with some of the children's story books I brought with me but I was hoping to start teaching him something a bit more challenging in the next few weeks."

Sesshoumaru nodded once. "You will teach Rin as well. My library will be at your disposal to fulfill the request."

"You have a library?" Kagome asked then covered her mouth with a hand as her eyes widened in shock. 'Great going Kagome,' She thought. 'You just insulted the one who took you into his home by insinuating that he was ignorant.'

Sesshoumaru was amused by her antics. "Yes, I have a library. I will show you this evening after dinner, you will start tomorrow."

Kagome nodded and found herself secretly happy that he would entrust such a responsibility to her. She waited for his wave of dismissal but it never came. Instead she found him just staring at her in a way that made her stomach do flip flops.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked after a moment.

Sesshoumaru mentally shook himself from his thoughts. "No, you may leave."

Kagome nodded as she stood and headed toward the door. Sesshoumaru fought the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn't stand. His eyebrow lifted and he sighed inwardly as he watched her hips sway back and forth beneath the silk she wore. The little vixen didn't have the first clue what she did to him. Even before Inu Yasha had turned her away he would often watch as she walked; always finding an excuse to walk in back of the ragtag group they had formed. When he first approached them they were starting to come up with a strategy to defeat Naraku. Inu Yasha had acted like a fool and thought the taiyoukai was there to take Tetsusaiga but somehow Kagome knew differently. She knew that Naraku had stepped on Sesshoumaru's toes one too many times and subdued the hanyou long enough to hear out his reasoning for joining them. As time passed he grew used to Kagome's kind words and witty remarks to his half brother. He had found himself amused on more than one occasion when the miko had gotten the best of the hanyou by twisting his words around. Later he found out that she had done so in jest, trying to liven up a very serious situation. Watching her he then realized that it was how she dealt with stress and worry.

Sesshoumaru had found himself almost insane with jealousy when she kissed the hanyou after the final battle. It was only a chaste kiss but still the feeling was there. Judging from the blush that appeared on Inu Yasha's face he was certain that the hanyou felt the same way and kept his distance. Inu Yasha had a rightful claim to the miko even though she was unmarked and once more wished that he had been the one to meet her first. Now her fire had all but been extinguished due to the pup's ignorance. Hadn't he seen how much he meant to her? Hadn't he cared that her heart now lay in shatters on the forest floor because she loved him so much? Sesshoumaru couldn't contain the growl that rose in his throat as the door closed behind the miko, leaving him alone once more. His mind wandered to earlier that morning when he'd found the children in the library.

Flashback

"What are you doing in here?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

Shippou 'eeped' and quickly closed the book. "I'm sorry Lord Sesshoumaru." He apologized. "I was just trying to teach Rin how to read my book."

Sesshoumaru was curious. "What kind of book?" he asked; concerned that his Rin would suddenly be exposed to something she had no business knowing.

"It's a children's book that Momma gave me about an ugly duckling."

Sesshoumaru sat down on the small couch close to where they were sitting. "Tell me."

Shippou swallowed and read the story from start to finish while Sesshoumaru listened carefully.

"Isn't it a pretty story Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked. "It has a happy ending and everything."

"Yeah, it does." Shippou said sadly.

"What bothers you kit?" the taiyoukai asked.

"It's just…my mother…"

Sesshoumaru gave the child a piercing stare. "What about your mother?"

"She sees herself as the ugly duckling, somebody nobody wants or loves."

"In your story the duckling becomes a swan does he not? It is loved by everyone it would seem."

Shippou nodded. "Yeah, but she says that she'll never be a swan." He looked up at the taiyoukai with big eyes. "But swans are one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Momma is one of the most beautiful people in the world. She used to think she was somewhat pretty but she doesn't think so now." Shippou crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the floor. "I'd love to jump on Inu Yasha's head and gnaw his ears off for making her feel like that."

"Inu Yasha-sama made Kagome-chan feel like that?" Rin asked.

Shippou nodded and Rin stood up with her tiny fists on her hips.

"I'm gonna kick him the next I see him; right in the ankle just like I do Jaken when he hits me on the head with his staff."

Sesshoumaru fought tooth and nail to keep the laughter from bursting from his throat at his ward's outburst. Now he understood why Jaken had a limp in his step most of the time. Using all his willpower he kept his face neutral and left the library. As soon as he was a good ways down the corridor he finally gave in and chuckled softly.

End Flashback

Sesshoumaru was brought back to reality when he heard the two females conversing on the other side of the door.

xxx

"Does this place have a dojo?" Kagome asked. "I want to run through a few exercises so I don't get rusty."

"I'm sure it does." Kagura answered. "Perhaps one of the servants here can tell us where it is."

The door to the study opened and both females jumped. "I will show you the dojo if that is your wish then you can go see the children."

Kagome and Kagura followed him to a complex outside the castle and Kagome turned around in a small circle once she was inside. The place was huge enough for Sesshoumaru to run around in his true form. For some reason a mental picture of the stoic youkai in his fully transformed state sprang to mind but with humorous results. She was actually picturing him chasing his tail and sniggered at her train of thought.

"What's so funny?" Kagura asked quietly.

Kagome waited until Sesshoumaru was on the other side of the dojo before she whispered her thought in the wind youkai's ear. Kagura started to laugh outright but caught herself right after the first guffaw. Sesshoumaru turned toward the females and raised an eyebrow making them break out in peals of laughter.

"Makes you wonder if he does that when no one is looking." Kagome gasped softly making Kagura laugh even harder.

Sesshoumaru knew that he was the object of something very humorous between the two but chose to let it go. Just seeing Kagome laugh again was a sight for sore eyes.

xxx

Inu Yasha and Miroku had gone hunting in the forest while Sango, Kaede and Kikyou worked in the gardens. It was getting close to dinner time when they finally stopped and there was still no sign of Inu Yasha or Miroku. Sango wondered what the two were up to and sighed.

"Perhaps ye should return to the hut for a bit of rest." Kaede said to Sango. "We can finish up here."

Sango smiled at the two miko women. "Thank you. I'll go ahead and start preparations for dinner."

Sango quickly washed up in the river and returned to the hut. She was shocked to see Miroku sitting by the hearth with a fire already going and a very serious expression on his face.

"Where's Inu Yasha?" she asked.

"He decided to stay out a little longer. He picked up the scent of a deer and thought it would be a good addition to dinner."

Sango sat down across from him and started gathering up the items needed for dinner.

"Lady Sango, before you begin I would like to ask you something."

Sango stopped what she was doing and looked at him over the fire. "All right, I'm listening."

Miroku stood up and got the large parcel wrapped in pink silk that he'd brought back with him earlier that morning and placed it next to her. He then sat down on the other side of it and nodded once, his eyes dancing with some emotion that Sango couldn't identify. Heeding the unspoken request Sango began to loosen the ties holding the parcel together and gasped softly when the pink silk fell away to reveal a large bundle of snow white silk beneath it. Sango's eyes were wide as she lifted the first item of transparent silk. It was beautiful and would have fit on her head like a crown. It was at least four feet long and the crown of it was made of silk that had what looked like smaller bundles of silk cut to look like white roses. Sango gently set this aside and looked down at what remained in the package.

The exterminator felt her heart jump into her throat and stop beating completely as she lifted the other item and had to stand up to see it in it's full glory. The dress was pure white with sleeves that would have dropped just below the shoulders. The bodice was covered with tiny seed pearls, just enough to be attractive and not gaudy. The skirt was floor length and full with a train that had to be at least another six feet long. It took Sango less than a second to recognize the dress from the picture she'd taken from Kagome's magazine.

"Miroku?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes welling up with tears.

Miroku stood up and clasped on of her hands between his, the serious expression had returned. "Lady Sango, I would be honored if you accepted my proposal of marriage."

Sango was shocked as Miroku lowered himself to one knee. "Will you marry me and bear my child?"

The exterminator giggled at the way he asked. "Yes!" she whispered. "I will marry you and bear as many children as you wish."

Miroku was suddenly up and had his arms wrapped around her tightly. "I have waited a long time to hear those words from you Sango." He whispered.

"Miroku," Sango whispered and pulled back so she could see his face. "Can we wait to get married till we find Kagome? I know she'd want to be here for the wedding."

"We'll wait as long as it takes." Miroku promised and gently kissed her.

Sango was blushing when Miroku exited the hut. After a few minutes she heard a shout of triumph from the other side of the village and giggled again as she pictured him running around doing a silly victory dance like Kagome did from time to time. Her giggles stopped abruptly when she saw Kaede and Kikyou standing in the doorway with knowing smiles on their faces.

"Did you two happen to know about this?" Sango asked while packing away the wedding gown.

"Aye." Kaede answered and moved toward the cooking hearth.

"When were you planning on telling me?"

"Right after you accepted Miroku's marriage proposal." Kikyou answered.

The miko laughed as Sango gently pushed her over.

"I don't like you two anymore." Sango said with a pout and plopped down on a mat next to Kaede.

The other two women looked at each other before they started chuckling again. Sango couldn't keep from smiling and soon joined in the laughter. Kikyou was laughing for more than one reason. Her emotional bond with Kagome had intensified since the return of the Shikon and she could sense that the young miko's heart had begun to heal. But Kikyou wondered who it was that had started the healing process. In the long run it probably didn't matter, she was just happy that Kagome could allow herself to feel again however reluctant those feelings may be.

doing victory dance Hell Yeah! I really liked this chapter, hope you do to. Now that I've got all that stuff out of the way I can move on to the rest of my fic which, of course you know, will involve the Shikon in a very big way. Was that a spoiler? I have no idea. breaks into hysterical laughter Talk to you soon. Ja ne!


	6. A Different Side of Sesshoumaru

This is great! I'm getting more review responses than I thought I would. I'm just glad that all of you like this fic so far. Enjoy. Ja ne!

Disclaimer: What the hell makes you think I own it?

Warning: This chapter will contain some citrus, fluff and a bit of violence. You have been warned.

Chapter 6: A Different Side of Sesshoumaru

Shippou looked up at the doors to Sesshoumaru's study and swallowed the small lump of fear in his throat. The doors themselves seemed to intimidate him almost as much as the youkai that sat behind them but he was on an important mission. Mustering up all of his courage he timidly knocked and waited for the order to enter. When it finally came, Shippou pushed open the door and quietly stepped in, closing the door behind him.

Sesshoumaru had smelled the kit standing outside the door for nearly a quarter of hour before he finally heard the knock. He could also smell the slight scent of fear coming from the child and wondered why he'd come.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Shippou said respectfully. "I'd like to talk with you for a moment."

Sesshoumaru placed the document he was perusing on the desk and eyed the kit for a moment before nodding. Shippou took a few slow steps forward before Sesshoumaru's voice caused him to jump slightly.

"Speak your business."

Shippou trembled but he quickened his pace and hopped up in the chair across from the youkai lord.

"I was wondering if one of your human servants could take me to the closest village. There's something special that I'd like to get." Shippou muttered, wringing his hands together.

Sesshoumaru was puzzled. "Why not ask your mother to do it?"

"Because the thing I want to get is for her. Her birthday is coming up in a few days and I wanted to get something for her but she'd get mad if I went alone."

Sesshoumaru pondered this for a moment. He had been unaware that the miko would soon reach another year. He wasn't even certain how old she was now.

"It's her twentieth birthday." Shippou said softly. "I thought a birthday gift might cheer her up."

"Why not ask Kagura?"

Shippou sighed. "She told me that she didn't want to be around that many humans at once. That and she also said that she didn't feel like killing anybody today."

Sesshoumaru could understand the wind youkai's reluctance to be around that many humans. She seemed quite content with Rin and the miko.

"Very well," Sesshoumaru finally stated. "You will go this morning with the kitchen staff. They will be leaving shortly to purchase supplies and take Rin with you. The outing will do her good."

Shippou hopped down from the chair and bowed deeply. "Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru watched the kit as he politely walked out then heard him dash down the corridor to find Rin. When it was quiet once more Sesshoumaru sat back and drummed his fingers on the wooden surface of the desk. Kagome had said nothing about her birthday to him at all and wondered why she had refrained from doing so. Perhaps she didn't want anyone to shower her with the attention that usually came with such occasions. Sesshoumaru could certainly agree with that logic but the very thought bothered him. It bothered him that he had heard nothing of this and wondered if it was something that only the kitsune had known about.

Standing up from his chair he walked out to the dojo where Kagome and Kagura had started spending their mornings immediately after breakfast. It was getting to be routine; Kagome and Kagura would come down, eat breakfast then go to the dojo for two hours before returning so Kagome could get ready to spend her day with the children. When he entered the large room the scene that he was met with made his eyes widen in surprise.

xxx

Kagome had her sword in one hand and her dagger in the other; both glowed pink with her miko power. She was out of breath but still on her feet as she watched Kagura on the other side of the room. The wind youkai wasn't in much better shape and even had a few burning slashes on her arm where Kagome had managed to land a few blows.

Kagura opened her fan and attacked, sending bright arcs of power at the seemingly defenseless miko. These were not meant to kill, only injure. Kagome ducked, dodged and slashed through the blasts trying to gain a few more feet. The object was to see how long it would take Kagome to reach her. She got faster every day but her focus was starting to falter a bit.

Kagura noticed that her new friend was distracted and it was not from the silent entrance the taiyoukai had made a few moments before. Kagura had noticed this more than once since they started their spars in the dojo. It wasn't the sad distraction that she'd seen when they first started traveling together; this was something much more personal.

Kagura's eyes widened as Kagome leapt up and swung her sword in a long arc. A ribbon of miko energy sprang forth from the blade and barreled toward her at astounding speed. Kagome had never taken the offensive before and Kagura had no choice but to react. Drawing on all of her power, she erected a wind barrier to shield herself.

Kagura's brow furrowed as the arc pushed with amazing force against the barrier but inside she was smiling. This was the miko that had defeated Naraku, not the sad woman that looked like she constantly wanted to cry over someone who obviously didn't share her feelings. Finally Kagura's body gave out and she crumpled under the force of the blast. She closed her eyes and waited but when nothing happened she opened her eyes to see Kagome kneeling directly in front of her with an idiotic grin on her face.

"Gotcha." She sang.

Kagura growled, put her hand on Kagome's face and gently pushed. The miko fell spread eagle on her back chuckling softly when they heard slow applause. Kagome didn't move but she turned her head to see Sesshoumaru watching them.

"Well played Kagome." He said unemotionally. "I look forward to a spar with you myself."

Kagome blushed prettily and stood up. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice the way her clothing clung to her body. The outfit was an exact replica of the Taijiya but green instead of pink. The sight of her made Sesshoumaru think of other more pleasurable things but he quickly put a halt to those thoughts.

"Thank you!" Kagome said politely and bowed. "I'd better go in and get a bath. It's almost time for the kid's lesson."

"You will not be teaching them today." Sesshoumaru said. "They have left for the village to purchase more supplies along with the kitchen staff. You have the afternoon free."

Kagome frowned, suddenly at a loss about what to do with her day.

"Perhaps you can accept my offer for a friendly spar. I am curious about the extent of your power." Sesshoumaru stated.

Kagura grinned at Kagome. "Don't kill him."

"Where are you going?" Kagome demanded.

"I'm going to get a bath and take a long leisurely walk." Kagura answered as she left the dojo, throwing Sesshoumaru a knowing look on her way out.

Sesshoumaru turned his full attention back to Kagome as soon as they were alone. Without looking away he drew Toukijin and arched one eyebrow at her.

"Shall we?" he asked coldly.

Kagome dropped into a defensive position but did not attack. This spar was actually turning into a staring contest and Kagome found herself looking deep into his golden eyes. Finally she blinked, her first and last mistake; or so she thought. He moved faster than she remembered but she was able to dodge Toukijin's swing with only the loss of a few strands of hair. She was about to learn that even while sparring, he played for keeps.

Kagome was actually wondering how this little duel would end. They kept it up for some time before Kagome started feeling something very different from her previous spars with Kagura. There was a heat in her abdomen and it was slowly moving lower. She had never felt anything like it in her life and started to wonder where it was coming from and what had caused it. The sensation distracted her again just long enough for the tip of Sesshoumaru's sword to cut open the right shoulder of her top.

Sesshoumaru nearly froze when he realized what he had done and inwardly smirked at the thought of cutting off her clothing a little at a time. The youkai lord knew that she would once again call him a hentai but at the moment it didn't bother him. By nature, inu youkai were an extremely sexual breed; seconded only by the Kitsune. But Sesshoumaru had never taken a female against her will. They always came to him more than willing to throw themselves at his feet just for a glance from his golden eyes.

Sesshoumaru knew he was handsome by all standards but this did not make him egotistical. His egotism came from his fighting prowess and his position in life. As long as he breathed air into his immortal body no one else would ever rule the Western Lands but him and his heirs. The idea of pups once more brought his thoughts to the woman before him.

He wouldn't deny it; he'd wanted her from the very first time he laid eyes on her but those early days were filled with such childish games. He remembered seeing her cower behind his half brother, so young yet so old. The fact that she'd shown more intelligence than Inu Yasha during their first meeting had started reeling him in like a fish on a hook especially after she drew Tetsusaiga.

Then came their second meeting when she'd actually had the audacity to attack him with her miko arrows and transform Tetsusaiga. Then she'd attacked him again, shattering his armor. The third time had been their first meeting with Toutousai. He had begun to notice her beauty but had also been disgusted with himself because she was human.

The encounter that stood out most in his head was the second time he'd seen Inu Yasha transform. Kagome had thrown herself over the body of the hanyou and actually yelled at him to stop fighting. He had walked away from that particular battle and covered his actions by telling her to give Inu Yasha back the Tetsusaiga for he wished to fight the half breed while he was lucid. That was when he finally accepted his growing fondness for the miko.

She was afraid of him but not afraid to face him. He spent weeks brooding over her and finally decided to follow them for a short time. It didn't take him long to learn that she was from the future; five hundred years to be exact. He also saw how she interacted with the different members of their group. The kit was her child, her pup and she would always berate Inu Yasha when he'd do something to the young one. The exterminator was like extended family; their camaraderie was sisterly in its nature. The monk was the voice of reason and a brotherly figure except when he would get too friendly and grope one of the females. Then there was her relationship with Inu Yasha.

He could see it in her eyes when she would look at the hanyou. She had loved him with every beat of her heart. She would cry when he went to see the undead miko but always made sure than no one else saw it. She would laugh when Inu Yasha would do something particularly funny due to the mischievous kit. Her eyes and facial expressions told Sesshoumaru everything of what she was feeling.

When he finally decided to join in their quest she had accepted him with no reservations. She had not been expecting any promises but had asked that he try not to kill Inu Yasha until after Naraku was gone. At that point he would have given her the stars in the sky had she asked for them. She made him feel invincible yet weak at the same time.

He had chanced upon her alone the night before the battle with Naraku. She was staring up at the stars with a dreamy look on her face. With the moonlight shining down on her she looked like a goddess from some forgotten legend. They had talked for a while about mundane things but she surprised him even more when she touched the stump of his left arm through the silk sleeve of his haori. Their eyes had met at that moment and he wordlessly removed his armor and let the garment slide off his left shoulder. Kagome had stared at it for a moment before laying her cool hands on him. He remembered the tingling sensation that went up his shoulder and through his chest. It wasn't unpleasant but it made him uncomfortable. He had watched with rapt interest as her hands glowed a soft pink. Before he knew it she had given back his left arm. Once this had been done she got up and silently walked back to camp. Her actions told him that she wasn't looking for gratitude she was just happy to do it for him.

"What are you trying to do, cut my clothes off of me?" Kagome demanded hotly and gestured to the ripped material that had once covered her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru was brought out of his musings by the anger in her voice. "Perhaps." He admitted.

Kagome growled at him. "Hentai!"

Sesshoumaru was shocked when she dropped her weapons and came at him. He chuckled in amusement as she threw first one fist then the other in an effort to get back at him. Those fists were quickly caught and he spun her around so that her arms were crossed in front of her and her back was pressed up against his chest. Without releasing her wrists he lowered his mouth to her exposed neck and whispered against the tender flesh.

"Or perhaps you need to move just a little bit faster."

Kagome inhaled sharply as the heat in her belly moved down even further to the apex of her thighs. This wasn't good but at the moment she couldn't figure out the reason why. Sesshoumaru suddenly released her and stepped back a few feet. Kagome turned to look at him and searched his face for any clue as to what just happened. His facial expression betrayed nothing and his eyes were cold.

"I believe we should stop for now and continue this another time."

Kagome nodded dumbly and watched as he left her alone in the dojo. Her knees were quite literally knocking together as she gathered her sword and dagger from the floor. She had felt a similar sensation when Sesshoumaru had found them camped just a little ways from the river about a week before but had chalked it up to lust and desire. Now the feeling had returned only much stronger than before. Each time it happened she'd been in Sesshoumaru's presence. Obviously her body was trying to tell her something but she didn't really know what it was. She thought that she may be sexually attracted to him but quickly tossed that idea aside.

'But who wouldn't be attracted to him?' she asked herself as she walked back to the castle. 'He's very handsome…no, that's not the right word. He's so hot he makes the sun jealous.'

Kagome giggled softly and went to her room to gather a few bathing materials so she could clean up at the indoor hot spring. As she walked down the corridor with the bathing sheet and her shampoo in hand she passed by a small group of guards. She froze when one of them placed a hand on her shoulder and sniffed close to the base of her ear. The feeling made her shiver with a bit of fear but she decided to leave the youkai be and continued to the spring.

After getting her bath, she dressed in the silver-blue kimono that had been laid out for her and tied a black obi around her waist.

Suddenly thirsty she strolled down to the kitchens and got a cup of cold water. She jumped and whirled around when yet another nose invaded her hair. Kagome was starting to get irritated with all the attention she was receiving and walked around the second guard that had approached her.

Now that she thought about it, she'd never seen any of the guards in the castle before today and wondered if they were recent additions. With a sigh she decided to invade the library. She remembered seeing a few books in there that had caught her interest while she was teaching Rin and Shippou. Since the two wouldn't be back for a while she thought a bit of reading would help pass the rest of the afternoon. Just as she reached the library door Kagome flinched, this time in anger when she felt yet another nose tickle the base of her ear.

"Unless you are Sesshoumaru I'm going to remove that appendage from your face." Kagome growled.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is busy with other matters." A deep voice said behind her. "But I'm sure I can make you forget about gracing his bed for a while."

Kagome was aghast. Was that the reason all the new faces were sniffing her hair, because they thought she was Sesshoumaru's whore? Without giving thought to consequences, Kagome whirled around and punched the offending youkai in the jaw. The guard stumbled back a few steps with a hand to his cheek. Smoke rose up from between his fingers and Kagome realized that some of her miko energy had gone into the hit.

The guard snarled at her. "You'll pay for that bitch."

Kagome took a step away from the guard but her back hit the wall. Just as the guard was about to pounce a blur of silver came between the two of them and the guard was thrown a good thirty feet down the corridor.

"You will not touch Lady Kagome." Sesshoumaru said with malice. "If I find out you have done so I will neuter you in front of your squadron."

Sesshoumaru was pleased when he felt Kagome's tiny hands clench the back of his haori.

"Tell me," Sesshoumaru asked indifferently. "Is he the only one that has approached you?"

Kagome hesitantly let go and tried to make herself as small as possible. "No." she whispered.

He sent a servant to have the entire squadron gather in the main courtyard and pushed the humiliated guard down the corridor in front of him. Taking Kagome gently by the arm he led her to the courtyard then released her.

"Who?" he demanded coldly.

Kagome looked up at him fearfully, she didn't want to get anyone in trouble; all they did was sniff her hair, neck or ear. Sesshoumaru sensed her reluctance and understood it but he would not let this go unpunished. Walking away from her he approached the guards and stopped directly in front of each one before moving on down the line. He stopped in front of the first one that had approached her and looked him over before turning to inspect the next one. The soft sound of an exhale made him pause.

"Step out of ranks." Sesshoumaru ordered.

The guard took three steps forward and stopped. Sesshoumaru continued onward and finally reached the second offender. The taiyoukai could smell his fear and it disgusted him.

"Step out of ranks."

The guard did as he was told and waited, sweat dripping down his face in tiny rivulets. When Sesshoumaru was done he waved a hand and the rest of the squadron took ten steps back. The one that Sesshoumaru had found accosting her in the hall was sent to stand with the other two. Kagome lowered her head when Sesshoumaru walked up to her once more.

"They are the individuals that approached you."

Kagome cringed but nodded her head. Before she could blink Sesshoumaru's hand started glowing and a long energy whip extended from the tips of his fingers. At first she thought he was going to take their heads but he didn't. Instead he took something that was far more valuable. Ignoring the cries of agony from the three guards Sesshoumaru addressed the rest of the squadron.

"None of you will approach or speak to Lady Kagome unless in my presence. If I find otherwise you will all suffer the same fate."

Sesshoumaru placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and led her back inside. Once they were inside his study she whirled on him.

"Why did you do that?" she cried. "They didn't do anything wrong; they were just annoying."

Sesshoumaru sighed. "For one that has traveled with a youkai exterminator and a hanyou your knowledge seems to be rather lax. They were trying to mark you with their scent. You are not theirs to mark."

Kagome stared at him. "I know they saw me as a whore but not until the last one tried to get close to me. But what do you mean by I'm not theirs to mark? Don't I have a choice in the matter?"

"Right now you do not. You are in heat and extremely aroused, they were merely answering your unknown call."

"I'M WHAT?"

Sesshoumaru winced at the volume of her voice. "You are in heat miko."

Kagome backed away from the tone in his voice. "Then why haven't you made any advances other than the obvious one this morning in the dojo?"

"That was not an advance. It was a lesson in speed and agility."

Kagome felt her stomach twist and nodded sadly. "Then I'm sorry I misunderstood."

She walked out, closing the door behind her leaving Sesshoumaru mentally kicking himself.

xxx

Well, what did you think? Good, bad, ugly? I'm working on the next chapter already, should be out soon. Ja ne!


	7. Happy or Unhappy Birthday

Great reviews you all gave me for the last chapter and thank you for giving them. As many of you have figured out by now, I'm trying to build up the sexual tension so that when the act finally does happen there will be no question about how Kagome and Sesshoumaru feel toward each other. Sesshou's feelings are already known but Kagome and her innocent mind can't really understand what she's feeling…but she will, very, very soon. By the way, I owe all of you an apology. In the last chapter I mentioned that there would be a bit of citrus but I got so wrapped up in what I was writing that I forgot to add it in. So as penance I will put the very mild citrus scene in at the beginning of the chapter here. A reader made the comment that when Kagome ate the persimmons at breakfast a couple chapters back they thought I meant pomegranates. The truth is I meant persimmons. The ones I'm speaking of are a very deep, red-orange color and resemble small tomatoes at first glance. They're extremely delicious and, unfortunately, are only available certain times of the year. I apologize for the confusion on my choice of fruits. LOL! Ja ne!

Disclaimer: This is what I think of your disclaimer. moons lawyers

Chapter 7: Happy or Unhappy Birthday

The hiss of silk against bare skin…hands touching, memorizing every curve…soft moans accompanied by quiet growls and heavy breathing…sweat covered bodies moving against each other…whispers of sinful deeds…cries of surrender…gentle whispered words of comfort as she felt him make her whole…

Kagome awoke with a start and looked around the room for a moment before remembering where she was. Sitting up in bed she realized that the sun was high in the sky and wondered why she had been allowed to sleep so late. Her confusion soon melted to happiness when she remembered that it was her birthday. Shippou had told her the day before to not make any big plans because he had something in mind. She wondered if he was planning some kind of party but quickly discarded the idea. Sesshoumaru would probably never approve of such a course of action.

With a heavy sigh she got out of bed and saw that a kimono had already been laid out for her. Lifting it up she gasped at the simple beauty of it. The kimono was a deep purple with red roses on the sleeves and hem and embroidered with silver thread. The kimono itself was sheer and a silver under kimono lay beneath it on the vanity stool where most of her clothing was placed every morning. A green and silver obi lay folded beneath all of this matching the roses that seemed to twine around the kimono like a vine and a pair of soft green slippers sat on the floor by her feet. All in all Kagome had never seen anything so beautiful.

Silently Kagome dressed in the obviously expensive garment and sighed at the feel of silk against her skin. This spurred memories of the highly erotic dream she'd just experienced. That in turn made her even more aroused. She had not seen Sesshoumaru since the incident in the study a couple days before and wondered if she'd angered him in some way. Furthermore, she wondered if she was actually falling for the stoic taiyoukai.

She had only left Inu Yasha behind two weeks before and thought that she would need more time to get over him before even thinking of something like that. She still loved the hanyou but her thoughts were consumed daily by his half brother. The morning in the dojo was still heavy on her mind and she found herself hoping that it would happen again. These naughty thoughts caused the miko to blush profusely but it quickly receded. He had said himself that it wasn't an advance only a lesson. This made Kagome look sadly at the mirror in front of her.

'Am I that desperate for someone to love me?' she asked herself. 'I'm an idiot to think that Sesshoumaru would really want someone like me. I am only a human after all.'

Kagome had conveniently forgotten about his request to open her heart to him her first night here when she'd cried on his shoulder. She had cried a few times since then but always did it when no one was around. She had no desire to humiliate herself in front of the youkai lord again. After running a brush through her hip length hair she stepped out of the room and walked down the corridor. A frown marred her face when she realized that there were no servants about today. Not even Kagura was around and that was odd in itself.

With a heavy sigh she went outside to sit in the garden and jumped nearly ten feet in the air when she was assaulted by applause and two ecstatic children yelling 'Happy Birthday' at her. After calming her erratic heartbeat, she let Shippou and Rin pull her forward to a bench so she could sit down comfortably. The servants began a line of sorts and started giving their gifts. Kagome glared playfully at the kit who just smiled really big and stared back at her with his big green eyes.

Each one of her gifts made Kagome gasp; she received everything from little trinkets to a number of beautiful kimonos. Rin's gift was a kimono also but it was a deep green, her favorite color and it was decorated with white dragons on each sleeve and one on the back that had its tail wrapped around the entire garment. Kagura also managed to give her a gift as well though Kagome didn't know when the wind youkai would have had the time or patience to get them; a set of tortoise shell hair combs. Finally Shippou's gift came last and she smiled up at everyone still present.

"Now what could you have gotten for me?" she asked. "It's heavy."

Shippou was looking up at her with very expectant eyes as Kagome pulled away the wrapping. Her eyes got really big and she smiled as a statue of a green jade dragon was revealed.

"It's beautiful." She whispered. "They're all beautiful." Kagome looked up at all of them. "Thank you!"

"Thank Shippou." Kagura said. "He's the one who put all of this together."

"You all helped." Shippou countered softly.

"But it was your idea." Rin announced.

"She's right." a servant said. "If you hadn't said anything we would have never known about Lady Kagome's birthday."

"He was also the one who asked Lord Sesshoumaru's permission to do this for you." Another one stated.

Kagome arched an eyebrow at her adopted son; he was definitely full of surprises.

"Where is Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, looking around the garden.

"He decided to take a walk." Kagura said. "I have a feeling that he's not really one for celebrations of any size."

Kagome knew she should thank him as well but her stomach decided to pick that moment to grumble very loudly. Everyone chuckled and dispersed to their duties while Kagome, Kagura and the children went to the dining room. They had just finished a late breakfast when Kagura looked at Kagome with a small smile on her face.

"What would you like to do today?" she asked.

Kagome looked a little hesitant. "Well, there is one thing I'd like to do."

"What is it?" Shippou asked.

"I'd…well…I'd like to go visit Sango and Miroku. It's been a couple of weeks and I'd really like to see them."

Kagura frowned. "Are you sure? What if Inu Yasha is there?"

Kagome squirmed in her seat. "I'll just have to deal with it. Besides, I want to find out if Miroku has proposed to Sango yet and if he has I want to know when the wedding will be so I can be there."

Kagura nodded. "I will take you."

"I will also accompany you."

Kagome turned in her seat and smiled at her host. "Thank you."

Less than an hour later Kagome was sitting in front of Sesshoumaru on Ah-Un's back while Kagura once more had the children and Jaken riding on her feather. As the village came closer Kagome began to feel a tiny trickle of fear running up her back. Was she ready to face him if it came down to it or would she run away again?

"I will be close should you decide to leave quickly." Sesshoumaru said softly in her ear. "But be warned, I will not let him get away with harming you."

Kagome nodded and soon they began to descend. They landed in the forest and Kagome slid off Ah-Un and smiled as Shippou hopped up on her shoulder.

"I will be close by." Kagura whispered. "You will not be out of my sight unless you enter one of the huts."

Kagome grasped the female's hand and smiled at her. "Thank you."

xxx

Kikyou sighed as the feeling ran through her again but giggled softly at the same time.

"What is it?" Miroku asked.

Kikyou looked up at the faces around her. Kaede was sitting at the hearth with Sango while Miroku sat against the wall behind them. Inu Yasha had decided to take a morning run so she could safely tell them what she was feeling.

"It's Kagome." Kikyou said with a soft smile. "Apparently she has become quite taken with someone but she doesn't exactly know what the feelings she's having are."

"You mean she's falling in love with someone else?" Sango inquired.

Kikyou nodded sadly. "Yes, she is."

Everyone's thoughts immediately turned to their hanyou friend who was working hard to keep up his strong demeanor. He'd started talking in his sleep and everyone heard him late at night. He would cry out for Kagome, tears streaming down his cheeks begging her to forgive him. In his dreams he would whisper how much he loved her, that he was sorry, that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Kikyou had also been talking in her sleep, begging for the miko's forgiveness but for far different reasons. Kikyou believed that she was the one responsible for their pain; to a certain degree they all knew she was right including Kikyou herself. But she was also claiming responsibility for the actions of another and that they would never blame her for.

Suddenly Kikyou and Miroku both stood up at once.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"Four youkai," Kikyou answered. "One is very strong, another is only slightly stronger than Kagome, there's a very young one and one more that is…I don't know. I want to say simple but that isn't the right word."

"I thought we had rid the area of youkai." Sango said now that she herself could feel their presence.

Kikyou frowned then a bright smile crossed her face. Without any explanation she ran out the door of the hut and all the way to the edge of the village. Miroku and Sango followed close behind and froze when they saw none other than Kagome walking toward them with a very big smile on her face. Sango rushed forward to embrace her little sister and her adopted nephew. Miroku waited his turn and, for once, didn't grope the young miko as he hugged her tightly. Kagome stood back from them then smiled at Kikyou.

"Don't I get a hug from you too?" Kagome asked.

Kikyou smiled brightly and hugged her incarnate tightly with sisterly affection. "You've finally started opening your heart." She whispered so no one else would hear.

Kagome looked up at Kikyou with an expression of confusion but nodded just the same. After a few minutes of visiting Kikyou and Sango dragged Kagome off to the hot springs so they could catch up. Kagome looked over her shoulder toward the tree line and tried to find Kagura. The wind youkai had hidden herself quite well because Kagome couldn't even see where she was.

Miroku stayed behind and saw the look of worry that passed over Kagome's face as she glanced back toward the trees. Shippou had stayed behind with him as well.

"Tell me Shippou," Miroku began. "Who are the ones that have been watching over you and Kagome?"

Shippou sat down under a nearby tree and Miroku joined him. "Well, not long after we left we found Kouga fighting with Kagura. Kouga left her to die and Kagome helped her, healed her and everything. Since then Kagura has given Kagome a Life Debt, she is to protect Kagome at all costs until the day Kagome dies."

Miroku had heard of the Youkai Life Debt more than once. "So it is she that is with you now. How does Kagome know that she can trust Kagura?"

Shippou shrugged. "If she was going to kill us she'd of done it by now. A few days later we met up with Sesshoumaru and got attacked by a bunch of worm youkai. One of them tried to bite Kagome in half but Kagura saved her. The funny thing is, when the worm youkai bit Momma in the side the Shikon no Tama fell out of her body. It was kind of weird. Lord Sesshoumaru took us to his castle so she could heal and he asked her to stay and teach Rin how to read and stuff. She's been teaching me too but it's starting to get a little harder."

"Is Lord Sesshoumaru the one she has started developing feelings for?" Miroku asked.

Shippou shook his head. "I don't know. One minute they look like they're getting really close, the next they're as far away from each other as they can get. But I think that Momma might be starting to like Lord Sesshoumaru a little more than she did before."

Miroku merely nodded at this bit of information and sighed inwardly. He had been afraid that this would happen and now that it had he wasn't too sure if he wanted to be there when the news was broken to Inu Yasha. It would only incite anger between the two brothers again but Miroku also knew that Sesshoumaru had an interest in Kagome. Being a hentai did have its advantages. For one he'd seen the glances the taiyoukai had given when Kagome wasn't looking and he always found a logical reason to walk in the back of the group. Miroku had done so on a few occasions just so he could watch Sango's bottom while she walked.

It had been humorous indeed to see the mighty Sesshoumaru resorting to such methods just so he could do the same thing to Kagome. Miroku knew that Sesshoumaru's interest was much more than a passing fancy. The youkai lord had fallen for the miko but kept his distance because of her love for his half brother.

Miroku listened as Shippou recounted all the gifts Kagome had received that morning for her birthday. The monk finally realized that Inu Yasha was going to get a very lethal, though unintentional, dose of what he had done to Kagome. He was going to know what it felt like to love someone that was in love with someone else. Either way Miroku was going to be there for his friends if they needed him and that involved getting in the middle of an argument where even more harmful words would be uttered.

xxx

"All right." Sango announced once the three women were situated comfortably in the warm water. "Start talking Kagome, we want to know what's been going on with you."

Kagome blushed. "Nothing's been going on. I've just been around and made a couple new friends."

"Who?" Kikyou asked, suddenly curious.

Kagome gave them a soft smile and recounted everything that took place after her departure from the village. Both women's eyes grew large when she told them that Kagura was her traveling companion now. They got even larger when she informed them of her stay with Sesshoumaru. She passed right over the dojo incident with a passing remark but Sango and Kikyou wouldn't let it pass without every dirty detail explained.

"Sounds like you have a new love interest." Sango said softly.

Kagome blushed again. "I-it's not like that."

"That's why I felt so aroused the other day." Kikyou muttered.

Kagome looked at the miko in confusion so Kikyou explained what happened when Kagome made her wish on the Shikon no Tama. Kagome merely nodded at this new information and sighed dreamily as the hot water warmed her body. She still felt fear of what would happen when she finally saw Inu Yasha again and part of her hoped she would go through this visit without seeing him at all.

After their bath Sango and Kikyou fawned over the obviously expensive kimono that Sesshoumaru had given her and started walking back toward the village. Kagome sighed inwardly in relief as she felt Kagura's presence still close by, hoping that she would not need the wind youkai or Sesshoumaru to come to her rescue. As fate would have it though this day would turn out like all the others.

When the three women entered the village Kagome froze when she sensed a youkai heading their way extremely fast. Kikyou drew her bow and notched an arrow but she didn't need to; Kagome knew who it was immediately and groaned inwardly.

A whirlwind of dust tore through the village and stopped directly in front of the women. Kouga grinned wolfishly at Kagome (A/N: no pun intended) and took her hand in his.

"Kagome, I see that bitch has kept her word to keep you safe."

Kagome removed her hand from his grasp. "Kagura is not a bitch Kouga. She had no choice but to do Naraku's bidding or he would have killed her."

Kouga waved aside her explanation. "I wouldn't worry about her much longer. Soon you can be my mate and you'll never have to be bothered with her again."

Kagome sighed. "Kouga, I've told you before…I don't want to be your mate. I know you think you care for me but I've never looked at you like that. Please understand I just don't love you."

Kouga frowned at her, "You're still in love with the mutt after what he did to you?"

Kagome blinked. "What?"

"All the four territories are talking about it Kagome. Word spreads fast through youkai channels. They've been talking about the miko who defeated Naraku but was brought down by a hanyou because he didn't love her."

Kagome didn't know whether to be angry or cry. "I didn't come here to rehash what happened between me and Inu Yasha. I came back to see my friends and to find out when they were getting married. You are my friend Kouga but don't piss me off right now. Is that fine with you?"

Kouga backed away as Kagome's voice rose in volume with each word. Her expression full of anger and hurt making him believe that he'd pushed the wrong buttons with her.

"What are you doing here?"

Kagome froze again and Kouga saw her expression change from anger to complete fear. He watched as she tried to keep tears from falling from those beautiful blue eyes of hers. In that instant he knew how much Inu Yasha had hurt her. She was putting up a very strong front but her heart was still broken. She had come back to try and mend it. Little by little the tears were controlled and the fear trickled away to almost nothing.

Kagome didn't look up at him as he walked on by like he didn't even see her and got right in Kouga's face.

"What…are…you…doing…here?" Inu Yasha asked with a bit more force.

Kouga scowled. "I came to see my woman before returning to my pack."

Inu Yasha returned the scowl. "I don't see anyone here that could be your woman. You're obviously mistaken."

"What are you talking about?" Kouga demanded. "Kagome is standing right behind you."

"I know she is…but she also said that she's not yours."

Kouga smirked at this. "Well, she's obviously not yours either. Take a good whiff of the scent that's on her now."

Kagome paled at this and started to tremble but Sango and Kikyou put their arms around her offering their comfort. They knew what was going on but the hanyou didn't know yet. Sango and Kikyou had hoped to tell him before he jumped to the wrong conclusion; they had not told Kagome how he felt.

Their worst fears were realized when Inu Yasha took a deep breath. He very slowly turned around to look at the woman that held his heart in her hands. His eyes were a combination of hurt and rage but all Kagome saw was the rage.

"Why do you smell like Sesshoumaru?" he demanded quietly. Taking another deep breath his eyes widened. "Kagura too?" He was suddenly grasping her arms mercilessly and instantly regretted the next words that flew from his mouth. "You couldn't have me so you decided to run straight to my half brother? Why do you smell like Kagura and Sesshoumaru? Answer me!"

"Let her go Inu Yasha!" Sango yelled. "It's not what you think."

"Don't tell me what's going on. My nose doesn't lie." Inu Yasha snarled.

Kikyou was in shock. "But Inu Yasha, what about everything you told us? Doesn't that matter now?"

"Not if she's playing the whore for him." Inu Yasha growled and roughly pushed Kagome away. His anger fled the moment he realized what he'd done.

Kagome stumbled back a few steps but Kikyou caught her. "It's all right Kagome." Kikyou said softly as she felt the young woman's heart start breaking all over again.

"No it isn't." Kagome whispered. "I should have stayed away like he told me to. I shouldn't have come back."

Inu Yasha reached for Kagome again but he was thrown back by a large gust of wind. Miroku and Shippou had come running when they heard the loud voices as had someone else. Kagura now stood between Inu Yasha and Kagome, her expression was a mask of fury.

"Haven't you done enough to her?" Kagura demanded. "One moment you treat her as a friend the next you throw accusations. She came back here because she missed all of you and the only ones that I have seen treat her with any amount of respect are the monk, exterminator and miko."

"Stay out of this bitch." Kouga snarled. "This isn't any of your business."

Kagura returned the glare she received from the wolf prince. "It is if Kagome decides to make it my business. She was afraid that something like this would happen. She was afraid to come back but swallowed her fear."

"I don't have time for this." Inu Yasha yelled. "I'm going to have a few words with Kagome and that's all there is to it. If I have to go through you then that's what I'll do."

"No you won't." Kagura hissed. "I have given Kagome the Life Debt and she has asked me to watch over her while she's here. You will not come any closer to her."

"So when did you start rescuing all of our enemies Kagome?" Inu Yasha growled. "First you give Sesshoumaru back his arm then you rescue Kagura. What's next, a nice afternoon picnic with Naraku if he was still alive?"

Kagome turned to Sango. "When will the wedding be?" she asked softly.

"Two months from now on the full moon just after sunset." Sango answered without any thought.

Kagome nodded. "I'll be here for it."

"Are you leaving?" Kikyou asked.

Kagome looked at the miko with tears in her eyes. "I think it would be best. He has you back now…I'm not needed anymore."

Kikyou and Sango stood back as Shippou jumped up on her shoulder. Kagura removed a feather from her hair and they were soon out of sight of the small group. Once they were gone Kikyou did something that shocked everyone. She walked up to Inu Yasha and slapped him across the face.

"She came back to see if you would forgive her." Kikyou exclaimed, tears running down her face.

Inu Yasha looked at the ground. "Feh, how would you know?"

"Because I can feel everything she feels. I know what's going on deep in her heart and I'll tell you something. You may love her but your actions are doing nothing but driving her away. She's starting to fall in love with someone else but thinks they'll never love her. You only have me and yourself to blame for that!"

Kikyou turned and walked away leaving a stunned hanyou in her wake.

"She will come back." Miroku said while laying a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She said she would be back for the wedding, perhaps you can have your say then."

"So how does it feel Mutt Face?" Kouga taunted. "How does it feel to love someone that's in love with someone else?"

Inu Yasha wanted to rip the wolf to shreds but the question deserved an answer. "It sucks!"

Kouga turned away from the group. "That's all I needed to hear." He was gone in a whirlwind of dust before they could blink.

"Don't listen to him." Sango said softly. "Miroku is right; she'll come back when she's ready. Neither one of you was ready to see the other yet regardless of how much you miss each other."

Inu Yasha looked back up at the sky and prayed that his friends were right.

xxx

Kagura landed in the clearing where Sesshoumaru was waiting for them. He immediately saw the expression of distress on Kagome's face but held himself back from taking her in his arms.

"You have returned earlier than expected." He stated.

"Something came up." Kagura responded.

Kagome slowly walked over to Ah-Un and gave his noses a scratch. She was taken up suddenly and placed on the dragon's back with Sesshoumaru sitting behind her.

"Gather Rin and Jaken and return to the castle." Sesshoumaru ordered. "I have something I wish to show to Kagome before nightfall."

Kagura frowned at the order but nodded when she realized the taiyoukai actually wanted to spend some time alone with Kagome.

xxx

"I shouldn't have gone back so soon." Kagome whispered as the cool wind whipped around them. "I wasn't ready."

"One day you will be." Sesshoumaru said softly.

After a while Kagome looked at the ground far below. "Where are we going?"

Sesshoumaru smiled. "There is something I wish to show you."

Kagome smiled up at him. "What is it?"

"You will find out soon enough."

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest in a perfect imitation of a small child that didn't get what she wanted. The miko was startled when she heard a small sound coming from behind her and looked up in wonder to see the stoic youkai lord chuckling.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded hotly.

"You."

Kagome playfully swatted him on the chest and pouted the rest of the way to their destination. Her antics highly amused the taiyoukai and he realized that he would never tire of them. Finally Ah-Un began to descend and they landed in the middle of a forest that Kagome could only describe as breathtaking.

The plants and foliage were the deepest green she'd ever laid eyes on and the bark of the trees was smooth and comforting. What caught her attention most were the floating lights that seemed to surround them. They weren't disembodied souls and she didn't dare ask Sesshoumaru what they were.

Sesshoumaru took her hand and led her through a very strong barrier. On the other side was a grotto so beautiful that Kagome could only stare dumbfounded. There were brightly colored flowers everywhere and in the center was a pool that was surrounded by even more lush plants and bright white river stones rounded to perfection. The place had magic written all over it and Kagome instantly relaxed.

"What is this place?" she asked, afraid to talk.

"I built this place when I was a small child with my mother's help. She enjoyed small little bits of paradise like this one and erected barriers around her favorites to keep them from becoming tainted and ruined. I found this one and turned it into paradise."

Kagome let him lead her to a boulder that was short enough to him to sit on then pulled her into his lap.

"You have cried enough Kagome." He said as his chin rested on top of her head. "You should never have to shed tears."

"I don't want to cry anymore." Kagome whispered. "But is it too much to ask to be loved?"

Sesshoumaru cupped her cheek and tilted her head up so he could look at her. "No, it is not."

Kagome was shocked when his lips touched hers in a chaste kiss. She startled herself by whimpering when he pulled away. Then she suddenly smiled up at him.

"You lied to me." She accused playfully.

Sesshoumaru looked away from her and at the water. "I know not of which you speak."

"Yes you do! You told me that I had received a lesson in speed and agility but you really did make a pass at me."

"It was my personal choice."

Kagome hiked her kimono up to her knees so she could straddle his thighs. "Why did you tell me that?"

"You were in heat." Sesshoumaru admitted. "As tempting as you are I would never take you at such a time. To do so would have resulted in our explorations going much farther than they did."

Kagome frowned. "What explorations? You got up close and personal then avoided me like the plague. It…it hurt."

"I would have claimed you the same way my soldiers wanted to. The choice is yours to make Kagome and I will not take that away from you."

Kagome looked down, a deep blush staining her cheeks. "That was my first kiss."

Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "That was not a kiss." He responded softly.

Kagome looked up at him. "It wasn't?"

"No…this is."

Kagome's hands fisted themselves in the collar of his haori when his lips covered hers again. Her mouth opened to him when he swept his tongue across her lower lip. He wasted no time delving into the sweet recesses of her mouth and used his left hand to tilt her head in order to deepen the kiss. Kagome decided to be a little adventurous and brushed her tongue against his. Sesshoumaru groaned as her inexperienced response drove him to pull her even closer. He almost lost all of his control when her tongue brushed against one of his fangs and the taste of blood filled his mouth. Before he gave in to the primal urges he pulled away from her and almost laughed at her dazed expression.

"Wow!" she whispered looking shyly up at him.

Sesshoumaru dug his long fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp. "I am pleased you enjoyed it." His eyes took on a wicked light. "I am curious if your reaction will be different each time."

Kagome sighed in contentment when he kissed her once more. For the first time in a very long time, Kagome felt beautiful.

xxx


	8. Drat! Foiled Again!

Disclaimer: If you don't get it now then you never will.

Warning: There will be some lime in this chapter. You have been warned.

Chapter 8: Drat! Foiled Again!

Shippou and Rin stored away the books that Kagome had given them to read and rushed out of the library. As soon as they were out the door they saw Sesshoumaru walking toward them down the corridor and tried to stop. Unfortunately the smooth marble floors did little to arrest their momentum and they crashed right into the youkai lord's legs. Sesshoumaru remained standing but Rin and Shippou were a bundle of arms and legs. They stood up with extremely big grins on their faces, greeted him as well as they could then continued on toward the garden, laughing all the way.

Sesshoumaru looked up when he heard an amused snort from the library door. Kagome was standing there with her hand covering her mouth, bent over and using the door frame for support. She had started smiling more since their return from the village a month before. Since then Sesshoumaru had taken to sparring with the miko at least once a day. He had only kissed her twice since that night as well but she would still respond to his 'lessons' as he liked to call them. It had become a private joke between them and he was sorely tempted to give her another.

"I'm sorry," Kagome choked out. "That was just too funny."

"Was that as funny as you picturing I, Sesshoumaru chasing my own tail?"

Kagome stopped laughing. "Where did you hear that?"

"Do not deny it; I overheard you and Kagura speaking this morning just before your routine in the dojo."

Kagome blushed a bright red. "Um…sorry?"

Sesshoumaru grinned wickedly. "That will not be enough my dear Kagome. You will pay for your insolence."

Kagome glared up at the cocky taiyoukai. "Is that so? What are you gonna do oh mighty Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru walked up to her and brought his mouth right next to her ear. "If I tell you then where would the fun be?"

Kagome gasped when she felt his hand gently squeeze her right hip while he placed a butterfly kiss on her neck. When she opened her eyes he was gone. Sliding to the floor in the open doorway she tried to get her body under control.

"He did it again didn't he?" Kagura demanded as she came from the other direction.

Kagome looked up at her friend and scowled when she noticed the barely suppressed grin on the wind youkai's face.

"I'm gonna kill you someday Kagura." Kagome fumed.

"No you won't, I haven't given you a reason to. You will, however, kill our host if he keeps it up."

"I couldn't kill him if I tried." Kagome muttered and pushed herself off the floor. "Not that I would want to."

Kagura sighed in exasperation. "If you're in love with him Kagome then just say so."

Kagome fingered the Shikon no Tama around her neck. "I…I can't."

"Why not?" Kagura was confused.

"Because I'm afraid to."

Kagura shook her head. "Does this have anything to do with Inu Yasha?"

Kagome blushed. "Surprisingly it doesn't. I'm just a little…"

Kagura smirked. "You're shy."

"I am not!" Kagome huffed.

"Yes you are."

"Prove it."

"Look in a mirror; you're as red as a tomato."

"So what should I do about it?" Kagome retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Mate with him."

Kagome almost fell over. "What?"

"Kagome, even you can't be that naïve. Mate with him! He obviously wants you and you definitely want him so just mate with him and get it done so the rest of us can move on with our lives."

"What do you mean by that?" Kagome demanded.

"Everyone here is hoping that you'll get over that stupid hanyou and mate with a certain gorgeous taiyoukai."

"But I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

Kagura snorted. "Don't give me that shit! You're more than ready for him; your modesty is the only thing holding you back."

Kagome remembered Sesshoumaru's promise to extract some form of revenge on her and what he did immediately afterward. Just remembering it made her aroused all over again.

"See what I mean?" Kagura asked loudly. "You get aroused over the least little thing having to do with him."

Kagome looked down at the floor. "What should I do?"

Kagura smirked. 'Now we're talking the same language.' she thought to herself.

"The next time you two are together see if he makes the first move."

Kagome merely nodded and set about cleaning up the library while Kagura continued walking toward the garden.

xxx

Kikyou walked through the forest with her bow in one hand and her arrows strapped to her back. Even though most youkai chose to stay away from the area she still carried her weapon with her just in case. The walk was a little refreshing and she tilted her face back slightly to enjoy the sun's warmth. She almost giggled when she felt Kagome become aroused again. The sensation had come to her almost daily now and more than once a day. The record was up to thirteen times in one hour and Kikyou blushed at what the poor girl must be going through.

The sound of an axe hitting timber caught her attention and she walked in that direction. There were no villagers in this part of the forest so she assumed that it was Inu Yasha. It did not surprise her to see the hanyou in the next clearing but it did surprise her when she saw what he was doing.

"Inu Yasha?"

The silver haired hanyou looked up from his work and smiled at her in greeting. He was shirtless and his skin was covered in sweat. Behind him there was a pile of timber and she frowned; winter was a long way off to start cutting firewood.

"Hey Kikyou."

Kikyou was a little disturbed at his familiar greeting of her. Since she slapped him the day Kagome came for a visit he'd kept his distance from her.

"What are you doing this so far from the village?" she asked.

Inu Yasha looked back at the trees he'd already chopped down to the right size. "I figured it was time I started thinking about other things. So I decided to start building a home and possibly moving on with my life."

Kikyou sat down and offered him a drink of water from her water bag, which he accepted gratefully.

"How are you feeling?"

Inu Yasha shrugged and sat down a few feet away from her. "I'm not too happy right now with myself. I really fucked things up this time and I know she'll forgive me eventually but we'll never be able to have a relationship."

"You still love her." Kikyou stated.

"Well yeah, I'll always love her but I'm not gonna hold her back either. If she decides to chose someone else that's fine with me."

"As long as it isn't your brother."

Inu Yasha visibly flinched at that remark. "I hate the fact that she may be in love with Sesshoumaru. I hate the fact that he is in love with her also."

"How do you know he's in love with her?"

Inu Yasha actually smirked. "I know because of the way he acted when he finally teamed up with us to destroy Naraku. He acted like more of a hentai than Miroku but you had to catch his subtleness. He was very quiet about it but I knew why he always walked behind us; I'm not as dumb as I look."

Kikyou laughed lightly at this. "I know of a few people who would beg to differ with that."

"Yeah," Inu Yasha countered sarcastically. "Quit acting all innocent. You're one of them."

"I am not." Kikyou retorted.

"Wanna bet?"

Kikyou huffed. "You have the nerve to sit there-"

They both got the shock of their lives when Inu Yasha suddenly fell face first in the dirt the moment Kikyou said 'sit'. Inu Yasha pushed his face up out of the ground and looked over at Kikyou who was laughing at the whole thing.

"Oh, so you think that's funny do ya?"

Kikyou stopped laughing when a clump of dirt hit the white front of her kimono. It was still damp from the morning dew and would stain if she didn't wash it that night.

"Why you!"

She dropped her bow and arrows and proceeded to push his face back down into the grass. Inu Yasha rolled over making Kikyou shriek in surprise as she was toppled over. Her entire back was one huge grass stain but she didn't care. For the first time in her life Kikyou felt free as a bird and continued to wrestle with the hanyou until they lay side by side, out of breath and covered from head to toe in dirt and grass. Kikyou had a few twigs and leaves stuck in her hair and Inu Yasha's hair looked like someone had tried to give it mud bath. They finally sat up and looked at each other then started laughing at their own childish game.

"That was more fun than I thought it would be." Kikyou said after they settled down.

"Yeah, it was fun. But if you ever say 'sit' again I'm gonna do more than just get you dirty."

Kikyou smirked at him. "Did you just threaten me Inu Yasha?"

"Nah, just a warning."

They both stood up and looked at each other for a moment before Kikyou smirked again.

"Sit."

Inu Yasha made a sound of pain as Kikyou grabbed up her bow and arrows and raced for the village. "Don't be late for dinner." She yelled back to him. "And try building your hut a little closer to the village, it's too far away."

The hanyou lifted his face up and scowled in the direction Kikyou had run. "I'm gonna get you for that."

He stood up and brushed the dirt off himself, his scowl slowly fading into a soft smile. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling content for the first time in a while before taking up his axe and finding another tree to down.

xxx

Kikyou waltzed into the hut with a big grin on her face, still covered in dirt and glowing with a child like light.

"Kikyou, what happened to ye?" Kaede inquired.

"Inu Yasha and I got into a bit of play fight and I found out that Kagome's 'sit' command works for me as well."

Sango and Kaede looked at each other and smiled.

"How many times did you 'sit' him?" Miroku asked.

Kikyou looked guilty. "Well, the first time it was an accident. He said that he was going to do more than get me dirty if I ever did it again."

"So you sat him a second time?" Sango asked with a wide grin.

Kikyou chuckled. "Of course I did."

Sango fell over with laughter while Kaede pondered why the rosary would suddenly work for Kikyou. She would have to do some serious thinking on this but thought that it was once more due to the emotional bond she and Kagome shared. With a smile of her own she set about cooking dinner while Kikyou gathered her bathing materials and headed for the hot springs with Sango.

xxx

Kagome had eaten and was in the study reading a book that she was thinking about teaching the children to read over the next few weeks when the door opened and Sesshoumaru stepped in.

"Good evening." He said simply.

Kagome stood up; the gold kimono she wore shimmered in the light as she did so.

"Good evening Sesshoumaru."

He was suddenly directly in front of her, making her stumble backwards a few steps. As he came closer to her Kagome kept backing away until her rear end hit the edge of his desk. She was about to dart around him when he surrounded her on all sides making her push herself up on the desk. He smirked at her attempts to get away and grasped her hips, holding her where she was.

"Did you think I had forgotten?" he asked innocently.

"N-no, not really."

Kagome jumped when she felt the tip of his tail slip beneath her kimono. But instead of caressing like she thought he would do, he wrapped his tail around the back of her knee and started tickling her with it. Kagome tried fighting it off but she was laughing too hard to stop him. He pinned her down on the desk while his tail continued to torture her knee. Finally he stopped and Kagome started to catch her breath when he attacked the other knee.

"Stop!" She laughed. "I'm sorry I pictured you chasing your tail."

Sesshoumaru grinned but he was far from done. His fingers found the spot just below her armpits and started tickling there as well. Kagome started scooting back off the desk and thought she'd succeeded in getting away but landed in the chair that sat behind it. At this point Sesshoumaru did stop and waited for her to compose herself before grasping her small hand in his and leading her out to the rose garden. They had both started going out there just before bed; Kagome would fall asleep most of the time and always found herself in her bed the next morning.

Sesshoumaru gracefully lowered himself to the ground beneath their customary tree and gently pulled her down into his lap. After squirming for a moment she found a comfortable position and leaned back against his chest. It was then she realized that he hadn't worn his armor that evening. It was one of the few times she'd seen him without it and was secretly glad because he was much more comfortable without it.

"It's so beautiful." Kagome said while looking up at the sky.

"Yes it is."

Kagome looked up at him and blushed when she saw that he wasn't looking at the sky; he was looking at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked softly.

Sesshoumaru said nothing and moved in for a kiss. Kagome felt her toes curl when his soft lips pressed against hers. She moaned softly when his hands began to roam over her backside. At one time she would have called him a hentai but his soft petting was scratching an itch she didn't know she had.

Sesshoumaru felt like his head was in the clouds, literally. When she moaned he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. He had taken things slow with her despite his youkai nature screaming at him to grab her and make her his. Her taste, her scent, everything about her was more intoxicating than any drink. He'd become braver with each kiss and now he was unsure how much longer he could last without having her completely.

His right hand came around her rib cage and slowly traveled up toward her breasts. Kagome's hand caught his wrist and he smelled her sudden fear but she didn't stop him. Continuing his deliberate movements he gave her the chance to pull away; he was elated that she didn't. She gasped and arched her back when he began massaging her left breast. His right hand buried itself in her long midnight hair, holding her head in place for him to deepen the kiss even more. Their tongues battled while Sesshoumaru continued to torture her body making her whimper in the back of her throat.

"Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru groaned and his body went limp when they heard Rin's voice calling for him. Kagome giggled making him look up at her. Her cheeks were a very attractive shade of red and her eyes were hooded but they sparkled with something that Sesshoumaru couldn't begin to describe.

Sesshoumaru could tell the children were coming closer and Kagome giggled again when he situated her on his lap so a certain part of his anatomy couldn't be seen. She felt something hard poke her in the rear and blushed even redder but couldn't hold in the nervous and highly amused giggle.

"You will not be laughing later." Sesshoumaru promised and thrust his hips up just enough for Kagome to notice.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome-chan." Rin cried and ran up to them.

Shippou was right behind her and stopped when he smelled something very familiar. He remembered the scent from when his parents were alive and he'd see them hugging and kissing a lot. Shippou kept his smile hidden and decided that it would be best if they weren't long in visiting with the couple. The young kit had a feeling that his adopted mother would be giving him little brothers and sisters before long. Shippou may not have known much about the adult world but he knew that scent was usually accompanied shortly after by children.


	9. Hearts Mended

Sorry about the wait everybody. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Damn it! Why the hell can't I own it?

Chapter 9: Hearts Mended

Kagome was still smiling when the children left for bed. Sesshoumaru had placed her on his lap with an arm around her waist and refused to let her get up. Every time she moved she could feel his hard length against her backside and suppressed the urge to giggle every time. After a while she had started moving on purpose just to make the otherwise unflappable youkai uncomfortable. At least that's what she told herself, deep down she enjoyed the tiny almost inaudible moans that he released in her ear. She was driving him insane but at the same time she was also making herself extremely aroused. More than once she caught Shippou just staring at her and the little runt winked just before he mentioned to Rin that they should go to bed. Kagome just about blushed ten shades of red and Rin made a big brouhaha about Kagome possibly being sick because her face was changing colors. Sesshoumaru had gotten a particularly big kick out of that and could barely stop himself from chuckling.

Once the children were gone Kagome started smiling at their not so innocent antics. That smile quickly disappeared when Sesshoumaru's hand moved from her waist to her breast.

"You will pay for that." He hissed.

"And just what will you do to punish me?" Kagome demanded softly.

Sesshoumaru smirked and started kneading her breast, his fingers occasionally brushing against the sensitive tip. "First I will remove every stitch of clothing from your body and tease it until you scream my name. It does seem to like my touch through silk so flesh on flesh should prove quite entertaining." He began softly kissing the right side of her neck. "Then I will make love to you until the dawn breaks."

Kagome was having a difficult time processing all of his arousing words and knew that she would be claimed by him this night. She'd read a few books in health class and heard her friends talk about it. She knew what would happen but the actual act made her a little scared. All her insecurity suddenly came to the surface and Sesshoumaru sensed this.

"I will mark you as mine forever. No other male will touch you; I will be your first and your last." He nipped at her neck with his fangs to emphasize his point.

"But I'm human."

Sesshoumaru growled and nipped a little too hard making her gasp from the sudden pinch. "I do not care what you are. You are the one I want."

Kagome took a deep breath and released it. "Do you love me?"

Sesshoumaru was shocked. How could she ask that question? Then he remembered the hanyou, she was afraid that he would cast her aside once he got what he wanted. It was true he did not like humans but there were a few that drew his attention and only one that drew his love.

"If you asked me to pull the stars down from the sky, I would do it. If you need a shoulder to cry on I will provide it. You ask me if I love you; I have loved you for a long time. Do not doubt my word Kagome." He grinned against her neck. "I do not have to resort to petty words to get what I want. Had I not loved you I would not have waited for your consent to claim you. Now, put those thoughts out of your mind."

"Forever." Kagome whispered and let her head fall back against his shoulder.

Sesshoumaru picked her up bridal style and leapt up to his balcony. He walked inside the cool dark interior and the fireplace roared to life with no kindling needed. Kagome assumed that it was enchanted but said nothing. Her attention returned to the handsome youkai when he set her down on the bed. He lay down beside her and just looked in her trusting blue eyes. For a few minutes they didn't move then Sesshoumaru dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers.

Kagome moaned under his onslaught and opened her mouth when the tip of his tongue traced the outline of her lips. She'd been kissed by him before but this one was different. This kiss held promises of what was to come and, despite her fear, she became excited at the prospect. Hesitantly she moved her hands up his chest to the collar of his haori and slipped them inside. His skin was exactly as she imagined it; silk over steel. The feel of it was intoxicating and she found herself wanting more. Sesshoumaru knew this and untied the sash around his waist; it fluttered to the ground followed shortly by the white silk haori. All of this was done without breaking the kiss and Kagome decided to participate a little more. First her hands moved up behind his ears to massage the muscles there then they moved to the base of his skull.

The halls of the castle were soon filled with the sounds of two beings showing their love for each other. The servants who heard it smiled quietly, happy that their lord had finally found someone for his own and for Kagome as well, whose heart had been broken..

xxx

Kikyou awoke to find her body tingling from head to foot and smiled that Kagome had finally found someone. She could only feel the after effects but she could also feel the extreme happiness of the young miko. Looking over at the wall Inu Yasha was propped up against she saw that he was awake and watching her. He had smelt her arousal while she was sleeping and knew what it really meant. The thought saddened him but he had only himself to blame for being so stupid. Kikyou got up and sat down beside him.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I will be." He answered.

Kikyou placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, this is my fault."

"Don't say that Kikyou." Inu Yasha responded. "I could have just let it go but I didn't and now I'll never have the chance of being with her the way I always dreamed."

"It looks like we both lost something that meant a great deal to us." Kikyou said after a moment then returned to her futon.

Inu Yasha watched her and wondered just what it was that Kikyou thought she had lost.

xxx

Kagome awoke when the sun rose and wondered how she was supposed to get to her room and dress for breakfast. She didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that she and Sesshoumaru were no longer physically connected.

"Good morning Mate." Sesshoumaru said quietly in her ear.

Kagome turned toward him and winced slightly as her body protested angrily.

"Ow." She mumbled.

"The discomfort will pass shortly." Sesshoumaru informed her. "Your body is still adjusting to or mating."

"How am I supposed to get dressed?" she asked. "I don't have anything to wear in here and I seriously doubt you want me to go streaking through the halls with your sheet wrapped around me."

Sesshoumaru nodded his head toward a closet door with a secretive smile. "Over there, take a look inside."

Kagome got up from the bed, taking the sheet with her to wrap around her body and approached the closet. Her eyes grew wide and sparkled like those of a child that had just received a new toy. Inside were a numerous array of different colored kimonos, each more beautiful than the last. Matching slippers sat in perfect order along one wall of the closet, next to them were an array of hair clips, combs and other items that a woman living in this time would need. Spinning around she ran back to the bed and threw herself into his arms.

"Thank you." She whispered over and over again. "It's beautiful."

Breakfast was nearly impossible as Kagura kept throwing very subtle hints at Kagome, teasing her to no end. Sesshoumaru was amused when Shippou looked right at him and grinned broadly. The kit was much smarter than he thought and wondered just how much the young male knew. Shortly after Rin was informed that Kagome was her new mother, Kagura dragged the new Lady of the Western Lands out of the dining room for their morning spar.

"Why didn't you tell me that inu youkai were a lot like actual dogs in that sense?" Kagome demanded after they finished up.

Kagura shrugged. "I thought you knew."

"Yeah right! You couldn't wait to see my face this morning could you?"

"Did you enjoy it?" Kagura inquired.

Kagome blushed. "Well…I…that's none of your business."

"Well you obviously did or I wouldn't have heard you screaming his name through the walls last night." Kagura grinned, "Plus I couldn't wait to see your face this morning." She admitted.

"How about I just purify you right here?"

Kagura held up her hands in defeat. "No thank you. That's quite all right."

Sesshoumaru watched the two females and saw the slight differences in Kagome's appearance. He knew he should have told her about the possible effects of marking a human mate and made a point to tell her that night after dinner. He just hoped she wouldn't be angry with the outcome.

xxx

That's it for now. More to come very soon! Ja ne!


	10. Side Effects

Thanks for the reviews, it always helps the writing process along. LOL! Anyway, I've had a lot of questions pertaining to the last chapter so I'm going to be answering those this time around. Hope you enjoy the read.

Disclaimer: Yeah I own them…went shopping and got them on sale. NOT!

Chapter 10: Side Effects

Kagome laughed as Shippou and Rin ran circles around Jaken. The two children had decided to tie him to a tree and were placing flowers all over him. By the time they were done he looked like a flower bush that had grown up beside the tree trunk. Kagome finally shooed them away and removed the flowers then untied the disgruntled but relieved toad.

"Thank you Lady Kagome." Jaken said properly.

Kagome could see that the gratitude was only skin deep and sighed. She figured that she could save the short youkai numerous times and he would never like her.

"You're welcome."

"Momma," Shippou called out and hopped up on her back. "Can you read us a story when we go to bed tonight?"

Kagome grinned. "Let me guess, you want to hear Cinderella again."

"It's Rin's favorite and mine too." Shippou answered.

"Please Kagome-momma?" Rin asked with her little hands clasped in front of her.

Kagome now understood how Sesshoumaru could never say no to the little girl. She looked so adorable like that Kagome wished that she could take a picture of it.

"If you promise not to bother Jaken anymore today then I'll consider it."

Shippou grinned, he knew without any further questioning they'd get that story. After some gentle prodding from Kagome, Shippou and Rin ran inside to get cleaned up for dinner.

Miroku entered the hut with a wide smile on his face and Inu Yasha followed with a very sour expression.

"What's wrong Inu Yasha?" Sango asked.

Inu Yasha merely growled then went to sulk in the corner with his back to the hut's inhabitants. Not too long after Kikyou walked in and sat down beside Kaede.

"Don't tell me you sat him again." Sango exclaimed.

"He was about to jump on me." Kikyou defended. "I was out in the meadow with some of the village children when he appears out of nowhere, knocks me over then proceeds to tell me that he's going to make me pay for the last time I sat him." Kikyou sighed. "Did he ever do that with Kagome?"

Miroku was still smiling. "No, she would usually sit him when she was angry over something he said."

"Well needless to say," Kikyou continued. "He was assaulted by the village children who proceeded to find every ticklish spot he'd ever possessed. I must say that I never thought I'd see the day when the mighty Inu Yasha brought down by a group of children so I laughed. He jumped up and got ready to pounce on me so I sat him."

Sango was barely suppressing her laughter but she reached over and gave her friend a pat on the back.

"Don't worry Inu Yasha, you're still the most powerful hanyou I've ever met."

Inu Yasha growled again but they all caught the playful edge to it and laughter started anew. Kaede was still smiling when she ladled out stew for everyone. Inu Yasha came out of his imaginary sulking to enjoy the dinner. Afterwards they all went outside to enjoy the sunset. Miroku and Sango moved away from Kikyou and Inu Yasha and went around the other side of a tree.

"Do they honestly think that's gonna keep us from knowing what they're doing?" Inu Yasha asked with a grin.

Kikyou put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down on the bench. "Don't even think about it Inu Yasha or I will pin you to the ground."

Inu Yasha folded his hands in his sleeves and looked toward the setting sun. Once more his thoughts returned to Kagome and he sighed inwardly. He still couldn't believe that he'd acted that way; it was as though something possessed him when she was around. When he caught the scent of Sesshoumaru on her it did something to him, he became so jealous he couldn't see straight and ended up hurting her again.

Kagura had been right; the only ones that had treated her with any respect that day were Kikyou, Miroku and Sango. He hadn't shown her any of the love she had come back hoping to find from him and now Sesshoumaru held her heart and her body. But he took some satisfaction in the fact that Kouga would never have her either. Out of the two youkai Inu Yasha preferred Kagome to be with his half brother than the stupid wolf. The look on Kouga's face would definitely be worth it.

Over the last few days though he found himself thinking of Kikyou more and more; making him wonder if he wasn't falling in love with her again. But that wasn't right, he loved Kagome. He wanted her more than anything in the world but he knew that he could never have her now. If what Kikyou had told him was right, Kagome had mated with Sesshoumaru a few days before. He'd been spending more time with Kikyou lately and wondered how in the hell he could have compared the two of them. Kikyou had certainly become more playful since her return and she argued with him too which made her more fun.

"What's on your mind?" Kikyou asked.

Inu Yasha hid his grin. "Nuthin'."

"Come on Inu Yasha, tell me."

"Why should I?"

"Because I asked nicely."

"Feh, like that would make any difference."

Kikyou tackled him, knocking him on his back and pinning him down by the shoulders. "Tell me!"

"No!"

"Tell me now!" she demanded even louder.

"What if I don't want to?"

Inu Yasha froze; this scene was very similar to one that he and Kagome had not long after they met each other. It was right after the Yura incident and he had been injured. Kagome had come back from her time with what she called a first aid kit. He'd refused to let her help him, she sat him out of his tree and tried to tend to wounds that were no longer there.

"Tell me or I'll drive you into the ground where you lay." Kikyou threatened.

Inu Yasha shook his head and grabbed her around the waist just as she said the magic word. The breath was knocked out of Kikyou and she glared at the madly grinning hanyou.

"Are we interrupting something?" Miroku asked.

Kikyou and Inu Yasha looked up at their two friends just before Kikyou scrambled off the still grinning hanyou.

"I'm sure they want to be alone." Miroku said with a wide grin. "So let's leave them alone."

Kikyou was blushing profusely and Inu Yasha sat up to watch the door of Kaede's hut.

"Do you think they believe there's something going on between the two of us?" Inu Yasha asked.

Kikyou looked away, "That would depend on what you want."

"What did you say?" he whispered.

"Nothing," Kikyou said quickly. "I didn't say anything."

Inu Yasha could only sit there dumbfounded as Kikyou got up and ran inside.

Kagome was starting to get frustrated. After dinner Sesshoumaru told her that he wished to speak with her about something very important. She got the children to bed and now sat in their chambers waiting for him to return. The moon was high in the sky when he finally appeared on the balcony and walked in. Kagome felt her heart skip a beat at the very sight of him. His hair was in slight disarray from the strong breeze and his eyes glowed with the thrill of the hunt. He was the personification of beauty and everything male.

"Good evening Sesshoumaru." She said with a smile and got up to embrace him.

"We must talk Kagome." He said softly. "There are a few things I failed to explain before we mated."

Kagome sensed that this was very important to him and sat back down on the bed. He settled down beside her and Kagome took his hand in hers when she felt him hesitate.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. "When youkai mate it is for life unless the other mate is killed. However, when they mate with humans something changes in the human mate once the mating mark is placed."

Kagome frowned. "Change in what way?"

"They take on the lifespan of their youkai mate and some even go so far as to adapt certain youkai characteristics if not become full youkai."

"So you're saying that I could become a youkai?" Kagome asked.

"You have already started to change a bit but if you do not wish to change the process will stop. You will still have the life span however."

Kagome was ecstatic. "What kind of youkai would I be? Inu?"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "It is difficult to say, your aura is what chooses."

"So Inu Yasha's mother chose to remain human?"

Sesshoumaru's frown deepened and he growled deep in his chest. "My mother was not cold in her grave when my father took the human woman as his mate. Her life was prolonged but she did not want to become a youkai."

"How did she die?"

"It was the night of the new moon; Inu Yasha was human. I found them at the borders of my lands; his mother had been stung numerous times by a scorpion youkai while Inu Yasha lay unconscious a few feet away. I killed the youkai but Tensaiga did not heed my call to save her. Inu Yasha awoke and thought that I had killed her. In his own way he is correct, I could have stopped the youkai from killing her but I did not. I let my anger for my father blind me. At the time I thought it would be one less human in the world. I have….regretted that decision."

Kagome wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head under his chin. "I'm sorry."

"Do not feel pity for him or me Kagome."

"I don't feel pity, I'm sorry I made you tell me."

Sesshoumaru chuckled softly. "And just what is it that makes you think you can make me do something?"

"I'll eventually put it to the test but right now I feel perfectly at home being at your mercy."

Sesshoumaru arched an elegant eyebrow. "Is this the same Kagome?" he asked with mock wonder. "Has my innocent Kagome become a wanton female?"

Kagome blushed when she realized what she said. "I…I didn't…I didn't mean it like…that."

Sesshoumaru began stalking her across the bed on his hands and knees while she tried scooting away from him.

"Oh, you are too late to take back such arousing words Kagome. I will take you this night in the manner which you have spoken of."

Kagome's back hit the head board and her arousal spiked as Sesshoumaru took possession of her mouth. For the rest of the night he did things that Kagome had never dared imagine, even in her wildest dreams. His hands were everywhere on her body and, like he promised, he had her at his mercy the entire time. He made love to her for what seemed like days, their bodies slick with sweat and the sun was peeking over the horizon when she finally fell into a deep sleep.

Sesshoumaru lay awake beside her, her face was pushed against his chest and he spent the morning hours staring out the balcony doors and idly running his claws through her hair.

Sleep finally settled on him and when he awoke he saw that the sun was much higher than before. Looking down at Kagome he froze when he saw his claws still entangled in what used to be pitch black hair. It now held traces of red and silver within it; the red only noticeable when the light shone and lay wild on the bed behind her. Her ears were still growing to delicate points and he resisted the urge to nip at them. Her eyes were lined with black and her eyelids were now a very attractive shade of blue. On each of her cheeks were two deep green stripes which were still slowly fading into sight and a purple crescent moon had appeared on her forehead signifying her acceptance of their mating. He was especially happy to see this and felt warmth deep within his heart.

Sesshoumaru lowered his gaze to the rest of her body and was very please with that as well. Her wrists were now encircled with blue stripes the same shade as her eyelids and a pair on each hip. Movement caught his eye and he smiled when he noticed her long and obscenely fluffy tail twitching with her dreams. It was the midnight black he loved with each individual strand of fur tipped with red and white. He smiled when he realized that his Kagome had become a kitsune youkai, it definitely fit her mischievous nature.

The taiyoukai thought his mate was beautiful before but she seemed even more so now. He would have loved her just as much had she chosen to remain human but he was glad she had chosen youkai. She would not have to face the ridicule of youkai society now. He did not care what was said about him but he did not want her hurt again. He chuckled though as he imagined the expression on her pup's face when he finally saw her. Kagome had become a vixen in every sense of the word.

Kagome stirred and opened her eyes then looked up at him lovingly.

"Ohayo." She whispered. "Did anyone ever tell you how sexy you look with your hair all messed up?"

"Many times." He responded.

Kagome huffed at him and tried to pull out of his embrace. He smiled and tightened his hold which made Kagome fight him even more. Sesshoumaru finally released her and she got up out of bed, picking up the robe that had been discarded the evening before and putting it on. She stopped to admire herself in the mirror then nodded with satisfaction. She giggled when she saw the very tip of her tail peaking out from beneath the edge of the long robe.

"You knew about this?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome grinned. "Yep."

Sesshoumaru growled playfully at her as she walked to the closet to find something to wear, the tip of her long bushy tail dragging the floor.

Yes, I know, short chapter. But I think I've made you wait long enough. Thanks bunches and I'll see ya all real soon. Ja ne!


	11. Friends

I have returned from the far reaches of my imagination and let me tell you…it's scary up here. laughs hysterically On that note, I must apologize for my last chapter being so short. Anyway fans, hope you enjoy this one, it's a bit longer. Ja ne!

Disclaimer: I Nefra aka Jaxxia7 of sound mind and body hereby decree that I do NOT own Inu Yasha or any of its affiliates. Sound mind and body? I must be out of my mind to think that about myself.

Chapter 11: Friends

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Because I do not wish to be that close to a human village."

"I was human."

"You are different."

"Why? What makes me so different? I want to go."

"No."

Kagome glared at her mate, her silver hair falling down over her eyes and she impatiently brushed it back. Suddenly she relaxed her stance and sighed.

"Fine, if you don't want to go….I'll go alone."

Sesshoumaru's head shot up at that statement and he watched as Kagome started to leave the room. Just as she got the door open he slammed it shut and turned her back to the hard wooden surface. He lowered his head until his nose was brushing against hers.

"You will not go alone."

"Then come with me. I'm sure Kagura wouldn't mind getting out for a while. I could take her and Shippou and I'm sure that Rin would like to come too."

"Why do you wish to spend the night in the forest when you have me here to keep you warm in our bed?" he asked.

"It's more than that Sesshoumaru." Kagome answered while tracing random patterns on his chest. "I want to visit a couple of places and maybe spend the afternoon with Sango and Kikyou before the wedding. It's going to be very busy tomorrow and I just wanted to see her while she still has some time. We don't have to stay too close to the village and Rin and Shippou would like to sleep outside I think. It would be fun for them and," she smiled shyly up at him. "It would give us a chance to have some true alone time."

Sesshoumaru sighed then returned her smile. "Why is it I let myself be swayed by females?"

"Not just any females." Kagome breathed. "Rin is your ward, I've pretty much adopted her as my daughter and I'm your mate so you have to give in when I want something."

Sesshoumaru brought his lips against hers but didn't kiss her. "Is that so?"

Kagome felt the knot in her stomach form as his lips brushed over hers.

"What makes you so sure that I will give you what you want now?"

"Because you love me." Kagome answered breathlessly.

"Hmmm," Sesshoumaru continued to stare at her, his eyes alight with their usual inner fire that only Kagome could see. "A fair argument; get them ready, we leave for Inu Yasha's Forest within the hour."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you."

Sesshoumaru backed away from her so she could take care of the preparations and went back to his desk to clear it of any unnecessary items. He was astounded that something so seemingly small could make her so happy. The reason he had been reluctant to go in the first place wasn't due to sleeping in a human village; he did not want her to face Inu Yasha any more than she had to. He still couldn't believe she was his mate and was actually feared what might come to pass if the hanyou were to suddenly tell her he was in love with her.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and berated himself for thinking such vile thoughts. Kagome was his now and there was nothing Inu Yasha could do about it. He had placed his love and his heart in her hands; she had done the same for him. They were mates and that meant forever.

"We're ready." Kagome sang from doorway.

Sesshoumaru looked up to see his beautiful mate, Rin, Shippou and Kagura all standing there waiting for him. Jaken could be heard in the corridor grumbling to himself.

"Jaken."

The small toad pushed his way in the room and bowed low to his master. "What do you wish of me milord?"

"I wish for you to stay here and guard the castle while we are away. If you fail in your duty I will see to it you never see the next sunrise."

Kagome frowned as Jaken bowed and quickly left their presence. It was obvious that the short youkai didn't want to go with them but she would have a talk with Sesshoumaru about his constant threats to kill him. Minutes later they were flying over the vast expanse of the Western Lands. The children with riding with Kagura, showing her how to play a game that Kagome had taught them called Charades. She was catching on very quickly and laughed when she'd guess what either Shippou or Rin were trying to enact.

Kagome sat sidesaddle on Ah-Un's back with Sesshoumaru tight against her. The late morning was chilly and her tail provided some warmth for her. She absolutely purred with pleasure when Sesshoumaru wrapped his tail around her and she buried her face in its silkiness.

"I will ask you to stop that." He demanded after a few minutes.

"Why?" Kagome pouted. "It's so soft and silky; I could pet it all day."

Sesshoumaru growled and began stroking her tail in retaliation. Kagome gasped and arched her back against him.

"Is that pleasurable to your senses?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes." She answered huskily.

"Now you know what it does to me. I ask you again to stop before I take you right now on Ah-Un's saddle."

Kagome looked up at him with wide eyes and immediately removed her hands from his tail. She secretly filed that particular bit of information away in her mind for use later. So far she'd found numerous places that turned him on like a light switch; his tail, the base of his skull, his fangs of all things, the area just below his chin and his belly. She'd had a lot of fun with the last one, teasing him senseless in front of the children again. That time he had once again pulled her onto his lap so the young ones wouldn't see what she was doing to him. His luck would be that Rin would see it and ask a million and one questions.

Kagome had taken to calling him 'tent pole' and he didn't like it one bit especially when Kagura started laughing. Shippou had made the situation worse by asking if Sesshoumaru was a tent pole would he be able to hold up Kagome. Kagura had fallen out of her chair that time and quickly ran from the room still laughing. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at her kit's question and the little youkai merely grinned up at Sesshoumaru. Rin sat there oblivious to the inside joke and went back to her drawing.

Kagome cuddled against Sesshoumaru's chest as memories of Shippou's expression when he'd found she'd turned kitsune raced through her mind. Shippou had been so happy that he cried and claimed over and over that he would be the best son ever. Kagome knew that he'd loved her as a mother before but now it would be right and she wondered if her adopting the kit had anything to do with her change.

Shippou had changed over the days as well. He had grown taller and the bow in his hair was now a thing of the past. When she asked him about this he said that he'd wanted to stay small so he could sleep in her arms at night. But now that she had a mate he didn't need to do that anymore. He was starting to show his eleven years and it made Kagome proud of him. (A/N: Remember, Shippou was about six when he first met up with Kagome and Inu Yasha if memory serves me correctly. If this information is incorrect let me know so I can make it right.)

The sun was in the afternoon sky when they finally landed a little ways from the God Tree but still within a comfortable distance of the village. Shippou and Rin gathered firewood while Kagura and Kagome set up the small campsite. Sesshoumaru stood a little ways away from them and stretched his senses for any possible dangers. He had to give the hanyou credit; he'd guarded his forest well.

"Would you care to take a walk with me?" Kagome asked beside him.

Sesshoumaru nodded, let her take his hand and lead him into the forest away from the small camp.

xxx

Sango and Kikyou were overseeing the final details of the wedding while Inu Yasha and Miroku sat under a large shade tree just a few feet away. They had offered their assistance but were soon shooed away by the two women. Miroku watched everything come together the way his Sango wanted while Inu Yasha leaned back against the tree trunk with his fingers laced behind his head.

"There will be more than one good thing about tomorrow." Miroku said softly, almost to himself.

"What's that?" Inu Yasha asked.

"I'm getting married and we'll get to see Lady Kagome again."

Some of the sparkle left Inu Yasha's eyes and his gaze became vacant. "Yeah, it will be good to see her again."

"Can you promise not to react the same way you did last time?" Miroku asked.

Inu Yasha closed his eyes. "Sure, it's not gonna be a problem. Maybe we can even salvage our friendship."

Miroku smiled. "I'm glad that you are giving her this chance. She really didn't mean to hurt you and I know that you didn't mean to hurt her."

The two friends became silent and continued to watch the proceedings. Kikyou stopped for a moment and looked toward the forest then whipped around to look at Inu Yasha's face. The hanyou was on his feet sniffing the air then took off at top speed. Everyone watched in varied degrees of confusion except Kikyou. She was the only one who knew where Inu Yasha was going.

xxx

Kagome led Sesshoumaru to the clearing where the rubble from the Bone Eater's well still sat. Kagome released his hand and slowly walked toward it. Kneeling down beside the pile of dirt and rocks she reached out to touch it, almost afraid it would disappear.

"Momma, Souta, Ji-chan…I miss you all so much." She whispered. "I hope you know I'm okay and I love you all. You were wrong Momma, about Inn Yasha that is. He didn't love me…his half brother did. I won't hold that against you though, you had your ways of knowing when someone was after my heart you just never really knew who it was. I hope I will see you all again someday but if I don't, know that I am happy."

Kagome smiled as Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her and she turned into the embrace. He cupped her cheek and tilted her head back so he could stare into her bright blue eyes. She closed the distance between them, his lips feeling like the softest silk against hers. When they finally came up for air Sesshoumaru pulled her closer and Kagome sighed contentedly. Neither one of them noticed the lone individual watching with pain filled eyes from the tree line.

xxx

Sango finally sat down next to Miroku to relax for a bit before dinner.

"I wonder where Inu Yasha went to in such a hurry. He's been gone for quite a while."

Miroku shrugged. "I'm sure he'll return shortly. He's had a lot on his mind lately."

Kikyou came over and joined them. "Inu Yasha has gone to confront his heart."

"You mean…" Sango couldn't finish her sentence.

Kikyou nodded. "Yes, Kagome has arrived. I imagine she will be joining us for dinner this evening."

The miko paused making Sango and Miroku glance in the direction of the forest. They saw Inu Yasha walking back; his face was unreadable and his eyes were completely blank. He walked right by them and went straight to Kaede's hut. They didn't dare follow, afraid of the welcome they would receive from their friend.

xxx

Inu Yasha entered Kaede's hut and was relieved when he saw that Kaede was the only one present inside. He sat down by the elder miko and folded his arms in the sleeves of his haori.

"I need to know something Kaede."

Kaede looked up at him. "I will answer as best I can."

"I saw Sesshoumaru and Kagome in the forest by the Bone Eater's well; I guess they decided to arrive a day early. She accepted his mating and it looks like she decided to go with the change."

Kaede remained silent knowing that he was building up to something.

"I saw them kiss." He whispered. "He held her like he really cherished and loved her. She looked so happy and I realized she used to look at me the way she looks at him now." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I found myself wishing I could trade places with him. The only thing that kept going through my head was it should have been me holding her."

"This made ye angry." Kaede responded it was not a question.

Inu Yasha lowered his head. "All I wanted to do was pull them apart. I wanted Kagome to push him away and run into my arms. I wanted to find a hole, crawl in it and never come out." He looked up at Kaede, his eyes glistening brightly. "Tell me the truth…is this what I made her feel? Is this how her heart felt when I'd go to Kikyou?"

Kaede sighed heavily. "Aye." She whispered after a few silent moments.

Inu Yasha lowered his head again, his ears flattening against his silver hair.

"I never knew," he said softly. "Why didn't she tell me?" he pleaded.

"Kagome thought ye loved Kikyou and did not want to come between the two of ye."

"But I didn't love Kikyou! At first I did but after a while I just wanted to find a way to bring her peace." His breathing became heavier. "I don't want this Kaede. I don't want to feel this pain. I can't believe I did this to her." He lost the war against his tears. "Oh Kami, I'm so sorry Kagome. I didn't know you were hurting…you never hurt anyone and I hurt you every time. You never did anything to deserve this."

"Would ye have stopped had ye known?" Kaede asked gently. "Would ye have stopped her tears?"

"Yes!" he sobbed. "I would have done anything!"

The hanyou felt Kaede wrap him in a motherly embrace. He held on to her and cried as Kagome had many times before. He'd lost the most precious thing he never knew he had; Kagome's heart. She'd given it to him and he'd ripped it to shreds then callously thrown it back at her.

Kaede gently stroked his hair and rocked back and forth as she had many of the village children. She glanced up when his friends pulled back the entrance flap and Kaede shook her head. This was not a good time for them to be there, he would not want them to see him this way. They silently moved away from the door while Kaede continued to comfort the saddened hanyou.

xxx

"I have never seen Inu Yasha like that." Miroku said once they were away from the hut.

"He must have seen something between Kagome and Sesshoumaru." Sango stated.

Kikyou took a shaky breath. "This is my fault." She whispered. "If not for me they would have loved each other without reservations."

Sango gripped Kikyou by the arms. "You are not going to take all the blame for this Kikyou. Inu Yasha had a choice as well, he just didn't see how much he was hurting Kagome with it. It wasn't your fault he chose to ignore what he was given."

Kikyou looked up at her new friend. "Do you think she will ever forgive me?"

Miroku smiled and placed a hand on Kikyou's shoulder. "She forgave you a long time ago just as I'm sure she forgave Inu Yasha."

"Are you talking about me?" a familiar voice asked.

They all turned toward the voice and their jaws dropped.

"Kagome?" Sango asked the beautiful kitsune.

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Yep, it's me."

"You've changed in the last two months." Kikyou stated with awe.

Kagome's smile vanished and she looked toward Kaede's hut. "Is there something I should know about?"

Miroku leaned on his staff and regarded Kagome with a very serious expression. "I believe you should go speak with Inu Yasha."

xxx

Kaede continued to rock Inu Yasha as he settled down then finally he pulled away from her embrace.

"Thanks." He whispered, wiping the tears from his eyes and face.

Kaede smiled. "That is what I'm here for."

The entrance flap was pushed aside once more and Kaede was shocked at what she saw; Kagome had indeed accepted Sesshoumaru's mating mark.

"Hey." She said with a smile. "Can I come in?"

Inu Yasha felt a heavy weight lift when she smiled in his direction. Kaede got up and headed toward the back room of the hut so the two of them could be alone.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked and kneeled down beside him.

"Feh, I've been worse and you know it."

Kagome shook her head. "You still haven't changed but in a way I'm glad. I wanted to apologize for-"

"Don't!" Inu Yasha interrupted. "I should be the one to apologize to you for putting you through so much. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"But what about-"

"Let me finish. I hurt you a lot worse than I could ever imagine and yet you always returned to my side. I didn't realize that you were in love with me. Kikyou told me you were and…I felt the same way too. If I hadn't been so stubborn and defensive I would have found the courage to tell you sooner." He looked her in the eye. "Why didn't you ever tell me that I hurt you so much? Why didn't you let me protect your heart?"

Kagome felt tears accumulate in the corners of her eyes. "I thought you loved Kikyou. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to be happy. At the time it seemed that Kikyou was the only thing that could make you happy. I thought I was only in the way. My original wish on the jewel was to give Kikyou her own soul so the two of you could be together."

Inu Yasha chuckled softly. "Amazing isn't it? You thought I was in love with Kikyou and I thought you'd killed her on purpose. I guess I really messed up huh?"

Kagome wiped away the few tears that had fallen and looked at him hopefully. "Friends?"

Inu Yasha smiled at her sincerely. "I'll always be your friend Kagome."

Kagome nodded once. "Good because seeing you like this makes me think the world is gonna fall apart."

"Yeah right! The only way the world would fall apart was if Sesshoumaru suddenly decided to take up knitting."

Kagome giggled. "That's nothing; I've already pictured him chasing his tail."

"Been there, done that." Inu Yasha stated using a phrase that Kagome was so fond of. "You have to admit that it makes for a funny picture."

"Especially if you imagine him growling the entire time he's doing it."

Inu Yasha frowned comically. "Now I hadn't done that yet."

"Come on, let's go out and tell everyone that we're okay now. Oh, and you might wanna pay a little bit more attention to Kikyou. I think she's falling in love with you all over again."

Inu Yasha grinned. "You think so? I guess after what happened with you I'll be able to see the signs now. The weird part is that I think I'm starting to feel the same way. It'll take a while but I'll eventually figure it out."

"That's great news!" Kagome exclaimed.

"But I don't know if it's for what we were or what we are now."

Kagome stood up. "You'll get it right. Now, let's go outside and wait for Sesshoumaru and the others to arrive."

Inu Yasha stood up and looked at her incredulously. "You mean you actually got the icicle to walk into a human village?"

"He's not an icicle." Kagome retorted.

"The hell he's not! Put him in the middle of a blazing inferno and it would go out as soon as he touched the ground."

"He is not cold, he's been very kind to me."

"I didn't say anything about him being cold I just said he was an icicle."

By this time the two of them were outside and standing toe to toe; Kagome's bushy tail swishing from side to side.

"Are you trying to put words in my mouth Inu Yasha?" she asked.

"You're the one who said he was cold. I don't even want to imagine what it would feel like to have sex with him."

"SIT!"

Kikyou and the others laughed when they saw that the 'sit' command still responded to Kagome. When Inu Yasha rolled over on his back he was actually laughing along with them.

"That's our Kagome." He said between laughs.

"You mean you made me do that on purpose?" Kagome asked.

Inu Yasha got to his feet. "I just missed hearing you say it that's all."

Kagome grinned. "I can do it all day if you want me to."

"No thanks, once is enough."

Kagome looked over his shoulder and smiled beautifully. She squeezed Inu Yasha's shoulder then ran past him to where Sesshoumaru was bringing the children and Kagura out of the forest. Everyone had been shocked by Kagome's appearance, they were even more so when they saw Shippou. He had grown a little taller, his hair a little longer and he looked more his age.

"Tomorrow is going to be very interesting." Miroku said with a sigh.

"Forget tomorrow," Inu Yasha grumbled. "Let's just get through dinner."

Dinner was indeed an interesting affair which was spent with Inu Yasha and Kagome throwing good humored insults at each other while Miroku acted as mediator. Shippou introduced Rin to Kirara while Kagura, Kikyou, Kaede and Sango watched them all with bemused smiles. Sesshoumaru was secretly enjoying Kagome getting the better of his half brother and he felt warmth; almost like family curl around his heart.

"Will you stop that noise?" Inu Yasha demanded. "You sound like a damn neko with all that purring."

"You do it as well little brother and we both know that inu youkai do not purr-"

"Yeah, yeah, inu youkai do not purr they growl. You still sound like you're purring."

Sesshoumaru didn't let it show on his face but his eyes danced with amusement. "Do you still pound the ground with your foot when someone scratches your ears?"

Inu Yasha stared at him in complete horror while everyone else laughed madly, even Kaede. Suddenly brave, Kikyou grabbed both of his ears and started scratching mercilessly. He tried to fight it but soon his foot was going a mile a minute making the hut echo with renewed laughter. Finally Kikyou stopped and Inu Yasha glared playfully at her.

"I'm so gonna get you for that."

"You're welcome to try." Kikyou stated.

The insults became even more pronounced but still good natured now that Sesshoumaru had joined the fray. Rin and Shippou finally fell asleep next to Kirara along with Kagura. Kagome had long since crawled into Sesshoumaru's lap to sleep and one by one everyone else left to their own sleeping places except Inu Yasha.

He stared into the dying fire for a long time before turning his attention back to Sesshoumaru. He had Kagome nestled in his arms with his tail wrapped around her like a blanket. Her soft snores were the only things they could hear in the room at the moment besides their own heartbeats.

"Is she happy?" he asked quietly.

Sesshoumaru looked up at his half brother then back to the slumbering face of his mate. "I believe she is."

"She deserves all the love in the world Sesshoumaru; she has a lot to give too."

"Your mother had a lot to give as well. Had I not been so angry at Father I would have seen that."

"I know you didn't kill her."

Sesshoumaru jerked his head up suddenly to meet Inu Yasha's eyes. "You know this now?"

Inu Yasha shrugged. "I knew it from the beginning I think but I was so scared I didn't know what to do. You'd never shown me any sort of family bonding and I thought you wanted to keep it that way."

"I did not." Sesshoumaru responded softly. "That was the first time I had ever tried to use Tensaiga. It did not heed my wishes to bring her back."

"Would you die for her?" Inu Yasha suddenly asked nodding toward Kagome.

"Yes, I would."

'So would I', Inu Yasha whispered mentally then settled down for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

xxx

How's that for fast? The next chapter is when the fun starts so keep your eyes peeled for that and I'll see you all soon. Ja ne!


	12. Wedding Day

Alrighty then, time for the imagination to shift into overdrive. Heehee, glad you all liked the last chapter so here's another one to keep ya all happy.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. I just like to capture the really cute ones and throw 'em in my hentai closet for my own sick enjoyment.

For my readers at FF dot net, you know the drill. Email me if you wish to have the link for the lemon chapters. Thank you!

Chapter 12: Wedding Day

Kagome awoke still snuggled deep in Sesshoumaru's arms. Judging from the sounds inside the hut everyone was fast asleep. The moon was still high so Kagome knew it was the middle of the night. Turning her head slightly she saw Sesshoumaru wide awake and looking down at her with his bright eyes.

"Hi," she whispered shyly.

"Go back to sleep." He said softly. "It is still very late."

Kagome reached up and ran her fingers along his jaw. "I thought you were going to show me just how much you loved me."

Sesshoumaru's body immediately responded to her words and silently stood with her still in his arms. Taking his time, he walked out of the hut and into the forest, carrying Kagome bridal style. He stopped in a small cluster of trees once he was satisfied that they were far enough for no one to hear them. The moon shone down on them between the branches above and Kagome couldn't remember a time he'd ever looked that damn sexy. For some reason the idea of mating with him in the middle of the forest excited her. She figured it was because of the newness of the situation and just ignored it.

Sesshoumaru stood silently when her hands moved to the sash around his waist and deftly untied it. The fabric fluttered to the ground seemingly forgotten as her nimble fingers started on his armor. Seconds later it fell next to the sash with a muted clatter. The taiyoukai stopped her hands from touching his haori and placed them back at her sides. Reaching around behind her, he untied the knot of her obi then tossed it aside. Her kimono went slack and fell open giving him a peek of her pale skin beneath the dark red silk. Kagome gasped when he reached inside it to wrap his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him.

"Did you think that I would let you have control?" he purred in her ear.

"It would have been nice." She said with a pout.

Sesshoumaru smirked and Kagome felt her body melt in his arms. Keeping one arm around her waist, he used his other hand to push the kimono from her shoulders leaving her bare for his roving eyes. It was not long before heated growls and moans filled the cool night air.

Kikyou sat up in bed, breathing hard and her body humming with something she'd never felt before. Going out into the main room she saw that Kagome and Sesshoumaru were gone and knew immediately what they were doing. She thought the emotional bond was enough but to physically feel what Kagome was feeling was too much. She needed to get rid of these sensations and there was only one way she knew to do it. Slipping quietly past Inu Yasha, Kikyou walked out of the hut and ran into the forest to the God Tree. She hoped that would be far enough away.

Settling down at the base of the God Tree, Kikyou let herself become lost in the sensations Kagome was feeling and she closed her eyes. Not surprising, the one image she kept seeing was Inu Yasha's face and wished briefly that he was there with her. She heard the leaves rustle softly next to her and opened her eyes; meeting the gaze of her hanyou.

Inu Yasha had followed her; he was the only one that understood the full implications of Kikyou's bond with Kagome. Kikyou wanted so badly to ask him to be with her but she was afraid he'd say 'no' so she remained silent. Inu Yasha looked her straight in the eyes and nodded once in understanding.

"This will be forever Kikyou." He whispered. "Is that what you want?"

Kikyou was shocked that he would ask but answered with no hesitation. "Yes!"

Inu Yasha smiled softly at the unasked question in her eyes. "You will only become youkai if you want to Kikyou. My mother chose to remain human and you chose to do so I'll honor that decision. You will, however, be given a longer lifespan. With me being a hanyou I'm not sure how long that will be."

In response Kikyou brought his head closer to hers and kissed him passionately. This was something she had wanted all those years ago but her position blinded her to the real truth behind being a miko. As such she did not have to rid the world of youkai, but to act as a mediator between youkai and human. She had ignored this basic fact and paid for it with her life. In return she had taken fifty years away from Inu Yasha, her first and only love. That night their bodies and souls met as they should have all those decades ago.

Sango was nervous when she awoke to find Miroku gone and started giggling uncontrollably when Kagome and Kikyou entered the hut at the same time with almost identical smiles on their faces.

"What's so funny?" Kagome demanded.

"You two must have had some fun with your mates last night." Sango stated.

Kikyou smiled while Kagome blushed a bright red.

"We should start getting ye ready for your wedding ceremony." Kaede said as she entered the hut. "Inu Yasha has taken Miroku to another part of the village so he will be no trouble for ye today."

The small group of women gathered everything they needed and walked to the hot springs outside the village. Kagome had brought Rin with them, much to the young girl's glee. Even at eleven years of age she understood the excitement of a wedding and happily listened to the entire conversation while Kagome washed her hair.

After the bath they all changed into new kimonos except for Sango and walked back to the village. It was well after midday before they started putting the wedding gown on Sango. Kagome was impressed at the accuracy of the village seamstress and wondered just how much Miroku had commissioned the woman for. Sango had fawned over Kagome's own dress though Kagome thought it paled in comparison to Sango's gown. It was of the same design she'd worn her first day in Sesshoumaru's castle with a slight difference. It was a dark green with a v-shaped waist line and the bodice laced all the way up the front. It was tied in a small bow just above her cleavage and had long billowy sleeves embroidered around the edges with tiny white ivy leaves. Kikyou had worn just a simple pink kimono embroidered with tiny daisies and a green obi. Since Kaede was the one performing the wedding ceremony she of course wore her miko clothing.

The sun was just setting when the women finally got Sango in her gown and stood back to admire the exterminator in it.

"You look so beautiful." Kikyou stated.

Kagome smiled at her sister like friend and gave her a hug. "You're gonna make him so happy."

Sango grinned. "I hope so."

Finally it was time for them to leave for the appointed area. Rin and Kagome went on ahead to see how Inu Yasha was doing with Miroku while Kikyou stayed with Sango.

"Don't hurt him." Sango said quietly.

Kikyou looked at Sango in surprise. "I don't understand."

Sango sighed. "Inu Yasha unknowingly hurt Kagome more times than I care to count. We are friends now Kikyou but please, don't let him hurt anymore. I honestly don't think his heart could handle it."

Kikyou smiled understandingly at Sango. "I will not hurt him; you have my word on that."

"So how was he?"

Kikyou's eyes got very big. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Sango laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Rin skipped ahead of Kagome when she saw Shippou and the two immediately ran off to play. Sesshoumaru stood a little ways away from Miroku and Inu Yasha but still close enough to partake in any conversation should the mood strike him. His eyes locked onto Kagome's form as she came closer and he smiled inwardly. The form of a kitsune served her quite well and that tail of hers turned him on to no end, swishing back and forth oh so innocently.

"Nervous Miroku?" Kagome asked teasingly.

Miroku jumped at the sound of her voice. "No, I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous? Do I look nervous? Why do all of you keep asking me if I'm nervous? I'm not nervous one bit."

"Yeah right!" Inu Yasha exclaimed. "And Kaede isn't a withered old hag."

Kagome giggled. "It's all right Miroku. If you must know Sango is nervous too."

Everyone in the little group turned their heads toward the north and Inu Yasha started growling. Who ever was coming was coming very fast and seemed to be heading straight for Kagome. Before anyone could make a move Kagome was swept into a crushing embrace and swung around.

"So you got turned into a kitsune." Kouga announced happily. "That's great! After the wedding you can return home with me."

Kagome stared up at him wide eyed. "No I can't Kouga."

"Let her go Kouga." Inu Yasha growled.

"Like I'm gonna listen to a piece of dog shit like you."

"Then perhaps you will listen to me." Sesshoumaru stated with his usual stoic voice. "Release my mate."

Kouga glanced over at Sesshoumaru and glared at the taiyoukai but finally released Kagome from his hold.

"What are you doing here?" Inu Yasha demanded.

Kouga shrugged. "It's a wedding right? We fought together, became friends…the rest of my tribe should be arriving shortly to honor the bride and the groom on their special day."

Miroku smiled and bowed to the wolf youkai and, true to his word, the rest of the tribe arrived shortly after. As the sun set in the western sky Miroku became even more nervous and finally the time came for everyone to take their places and/or seats. Kagome stood with Sesshoumaru toward the back of the crowd with Kagura and the children while Kikyou took a seat next to Inu Yasha. There were a lot of mumbled compliments when Sango finally made her appearance in her wedding gown and Miroku was bursting at the seams with happiness. The ceremony went without a single hitch and Kagome yipped happily when the couple finally sealed their union with a kiss. Laughter followed the miko's outburst followed by applause and a lot of rambunctious yelling.

Food was served not too long afterward and Kagome wondered where they'd hidden it all. None of them seemed to notice when the air slowly became thinner around them. First it was the children that fell asleep where they were sitting followed by a few of the older members of the village. Next came the women then the men and finally, one by one, each youkai fell asleep as the air was slowly taken from them. Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru were the last one's to pass out, realizing too late that there was something terribly wrong.

Once every villager and visitor was asleep a lone figure flanked by two huge shadows moved through the crowd of sprawled bodies, coming to a stop next to Kagome's prone form. A sinister smile appeared on the red stained lips of the perpetrator and she lifted a graceful hand to signal the ones with her. The two huge youkai stepped forward and lifted the unconscious Kagome from the ground.

"So you are the one that has the Shikon no Tama." The female whispered, flapping her leather like wings in contentment. "You shall serve me well." Looking at the two holding Kagome she turned away and started walking toward the edge of the village. "Bring her!"

Moments later there was no trace that they had been there. The only clue anyone would have was the disappearance of Kagome and with her, the Shikon no Tama.

Sorry that took so long folks but I've been really busy lately. First applying for a new job then a friend of mine passing away. But there's always good to balance out the bad. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Ja ne!


	13. Words Are The Ultimate Weapon

Hello all, I'm back. On that note…the moment you've all been waiting for. drum roll Chapter 13 is up and running. I'm really working hard on this because I'm getting excited about revamping a few of my other older fics. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'd love to give those lawyers a good kick in the rear end but in order to do that I'd have to own it.

Chapter 13: Words are the Ultimate Weapon

Kagome awoke with a terrible headache and took the chance on opening her eyes. They slammed shut upon getting an eyeful of candlelight. It was getting dark now and the little bit of illumination actually hurt her now sensitive orbs. Tilting her head toward the bed, she opened her eyes a bit slower this time and gave herself a chance to adjust.

'Where am I?' she wondered.

She was laying on a soft futon in a room she'd never seen before. The room itself was sparsely furnished with only the futon, a small wardrobe and a short table sitting by her side. Sitting up slowly she got out of bed and walked over to the window. She was shocked when she saw mountains as far as the eye could see. This territory was unfamiliar to her.

A frown appeared on her brow as she tried piecing together what had happened. The last thing she remembered was being at Sango and Miroku's wedding. Her inner senses started tingling and she spun around just as the door opened. In the entryway stood a beautiful youkai with floor length black hair and deep green eyes. Her expression would have been pleasant if not for the deep scar that ran right down the middle of her face. On her back was a pair of black leathery wings that twitched every so often. However, there was something about her that Kagome did not like; almost sinister in nature.

"Welcome to my home Lady Kagome."

Kagome wasn't expecting that sort of greeting. "Who are you?"

"Is that any way to greet your hostess? I am Kinoko, Lady of the Southern Lands and Queen of the Cerulean Dragon tribe."

"Why am I here Lady Kinoko?" Kagome asked.

Kinoko's expression became neutral. "I have only your best interests at heart Lady Kagome."

Kagome frowned once more; curious. "My best interests? You took me away from my mate and friends and brought me here, which I have no idea where here is. I suggest you let me go."

Kinoko shook her head, her eyes taking on a sad light which sent shivers down Kagome's back. "Poor little miko youkai! You really don't know do you?"

"Know what?" Kagome demanded.

"The four territories heard of what happened between you and that stupid hanyou Inu Yasha. Then word had it that you fell for his full blooded youkai brother."

Kagome was starting to get angry. "Just tell me what I should know Lady Kinoko."

"Tell me Lady Kagome; did Lord Sesshoumaru tell you about the effects of the mating before or after he claimed you?"

Kagome frowned. "After, why?"

Kinoko almost smiled and Kagome caught the twitch at the corner of her mouth before her features became saddened again. "It's very simple dear girl. He mated with you because you are strong, not because he loves you."

"That's not true." Kagome exclaimed while stomping down her own sudden insecurities. "He told me he loves me."

"He loves you then. If that were true then why did he wait to tell you about the side effects of the mating after the deed had already been done?" Kinoko shook her head again. "He told you that you could make the choice didn't he?"

"He said I could remain human if I wished." Kagome answered hesitantly.

Kinoko walked forward and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You were not given the choice you think young one. He mated with you before telling you something of such importance. Did it ever dawn on you that perhaps he told you that to fool your broken heart into becoming what he wanted you to become? It is well known that Lord Sesshoumaru cannot stand humans or hanyou so what made you think he would tolerate you?"

Kagome backed away from the dragon youkai and sat down on the bed. A part of her screamed that Kinoko was lying, twisting half truths to satisfy her own ends. But her barely mended heart was feeling the first pains of another heart break.

"He never loved you Lady Kagome." Kinoko said.

Kagome grew angry. "Leave me alone!" she yelled and clamped her hands over her ears.

Kinoko walked to the door, smiling evilly as soon as her back was turned. Her plan was working perfectly.

Kagome didn't remove her hands from her ears after Kinoko left; instead she started rocking slowly back and forth. Tears fell from her eyes as her heart processed everything Kinoko had told her. The rational side of her heart was trying to undo what Kinoko had done but the emotional side was screaming in agony. Everything Kinoko said made sense regardless of how much she tried to deny it. Kagome shook her head violently then curled up into a ball on the bed.

"He loves me…I know he does." She whispered through her sobs.

Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha flew in a rage when they awoke to find Kagome gone. Sango was well beyond pissed and Kouga was busy blaming Kagura for not protecting her charge. They had done a thorough search of the village before returning to Kaede's hut to discuss any findings.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to protect her." Kouga growled at the wind youkai. "You're about as worthless as Mutt Face and his brother over there."

"Attacking Kagura is not going to help the situation." Miroku stated, coming to Kagura's defense. "As I recall you fell before Kagura did so you have no argument."

Inu Yasha smirked and Sesshoumaru held his amusement at bay. Kouga bared his teeth at Miroku but realized the monk was right, he had fallen before Kagura.

"So how do we go about getting Kagome back?" Sango asked. "None of the youkai present found a scent anywhere, only a few footprints that belonged to no one."

"There were three different sets." Inu Yasha said. "One of them was smaller but there was something odd about it."

"Where the heel met the earth was deeper than the rest of the print." Sesshoumaru responded.

Sango blinked. "A heavy heel but light on the toes? It may have had something on its back."

Kouga frowned then headed for the door. "I'll be right back."

Sesshoumaru followed the wolf youkai back to where Kagome had fallen. Kouga crouched down as if to get a better look at the area when Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Kagome is not your mate nor will she be."

Kouga growled low in his throat. "She would have been if she hadn't rescued Kagura from my justice."

"Indeed. What makes you so certain of this?"

Kouga rose and turned to face the taiyoukai. "I have always been there for her, loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. Can you say the same?"

Sesshoumaru did not answer.

"That's what I thought. She loves you a lot and I'll respect that but if you hurt her in any way I'll be the first to bury my claws in your ass."

"You will get nothing by threatening me wolf." Sesshoumaru stated. "Kagome is a free spirit and she is free to love who she wishes. I just happened to be the one she fell for."

Kouga looked away then back at the ground; that was when he saw it. "What the hell?"

Sesshoumaru moved closer to see what had caught the wolf's eye. On the ground, equal distance apart from the smaller set of prints was two small grooves in the dirt. The lines broke periodically and they were faint, as though something was indeed being dragged across the ground. Upon further inspection they found the prints moving away from the village.

"What do you think?" Kouga asked.

Sesshoumaru growled at what his brain was telling him. "Dragons."

"Definitely a dragon." Sango said as she stood up from the tracks a few minutes later. She had changed out of her wedding gown and into her exterminator garb. "But why would a dragon want Kagome?"

Inu Yasha looked at Sesshoumaru. "I know of only one dragon that would want anything you have."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Only one but that is one too many."

"You mean someone has a vendetta against you?" Kouga asked sarcastically.

"Stick it where the sun don't shine Kouga." Inu Yasha growled. "This is Kagome we're talking about remember? The love of your non-existent life."

Kikyou grasped Inu Yasha's shoulder tightly, her eyes widening painfully.

Inu Yasha looked at his mate and immediately became concerned at the tears in her eyes. "What's wrong Kikyou?"

"It's Kagome," Kikyou whispered. "It feels like someone is twisting a knife into the very heart of her soul."

"Is someone hurting her?" Inu Yasha asked.

"Not in the way that you're thinking." Kikyou answered. "Her heart…that's what is hurting within her. She's trying to remain calm but thinks her heart has been betrayed."

Miroku stepped forward. "This is very forward of me to ask but…can you find her through the link you share?"

Kikyou looked at Miroku and all of the people assembled, youkai and human alike that had befriended the young girl in some form or another. Her expression became one of determination and she nodded once.

"I will help you find her. Our link is telling me we should head south."

Inu Yasha dropped his hand to Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Then south it is."

"Into the dragon's jaws." Sesshoumaru murmured.

"And right out its ass." Inu Yasha exclaimed, smirking at the expression on Sesshoumaru's face.

Kagura pulled forth her feather and took Inu Yasha and Kikyou upon it. Sesshoumaru flew by her side, his expression completely unreadable but his aura radiating one of rage. Miroku and Sango got on Kirara once she transformed while Kaede held back Rin and Shippou. The children had been crying softly since their mother's disappearance but otherwise remained silent.

"We'll get her back for ya." Kouga reassured them just before he ran off at top speed after his unlikely comrades.

Kinoko watched Kagome cry herself to sleep and smiled wickedly; everything was falling into place perfectly. The mirror in Kagome's room provided the perfect place to keep watch over her charge. It had been difficult but, with a little magic, she had been able to create a mirror that she could see through on one side while the other side was reflective.

"Soon Sesshoumaru, soon you will understand the pain you caused me when you killed my mate. You will understand what it means to have your world come crashing down around you. I will sit and watch while your mate slowly kills herself over a few cleverly placed words. She will die without knowing that you really do care."

Kinoko left her hiding place and walked slowly down the halls of her home, laughing softly at her good fortune. Soon she would have the Shikon no Tama, the life of the Lady of the Western Lands and the satisfaction of seeing the mighty Sesshoumaru fall before her.

Hey all, I know that this chapter is kinda short but real life isn't always a good thing. Thank you all again for reviewing. looks at nice neat folders full of printed reviews Thank you soooo much. muffled voices coming from closet Hey in there, keep it down, I'm trying to talk to our fans. a single hand appears between bars on closet door and extends middle finger I guess that goes to show how much the boys love me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and another one will be out very soon. Ja ne! waves happily


	14. Destiny Awaits

Hello all! Yes it is I, Nefra aka Jaxxia7. Sorry I haven't updated sooner and I will not be giving any excuses this time because I have none. This chapter has been rather difficult for me but all will be well. Regardless of what you have read up to this point…this will be a happily ever after story. Kagome will get over her self hatred, er so to speak. A friend of mine thought that she'd been way to blubbery for his tastes and thought that she could use a pick-me-up. I had already planned on doing this so that wasn't even in question. Thank you all for continuing to review. Ja ne!

Disclaimer: Hmmmm, maybe if I win the lottery. It could happen. LOL!

Chapter 14: Destiny Awaits

The band of unlikely companions raced south with an unrelenting speed. It as very late when Kagura suggested they stop and rest for a few hours. Kikyou, Sango and Miroku were more than willing to keep going but even Sesshoumaru had to agree that they needed some rest. After the three determined humans left no question that they would only rest for a few hours the group found a place to camp. Sesshoumaru, Kagura and Kouga all left to check the perimeter while Inu Yasha stayed with the others just in case something got past the three youkai.

"What are you feeling from Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked when he once more noticed Kikyou's expression.

"I am not sure. Her thoughts have slowed somewhat because she is sleeping but it's strange; it's as if something were blocking her emotions from me now."

"Perhaps your link is fading?" Sango offered.

Kikyou shook her head. "No, the link is as strong as before but…I want to say that the block in the link is coming from the Shikon no Tama. But to think that would be to consider that the jewel had a life of its own."

"Who's to say it doesn't?" Inu Yasha asked shocking the hell out of everybody. He looked at their faces and huffed. "I'm not as stupid as I look ya know."

"What would lead you to believe that the jewel had a mind and life of its own?" Miroku asked, interested in what Inu Yasha's insight to this contained.

Inu Yasha sighed. "During the final battle with Naraku, Kagome was fighting along side me and Sesshoumaru while the two of you and Shippou were taking care of any attacks from the rear with Kouga's help."

Flashback

"Kagome, on your left." Inu Yasha shouted.

Kagome wasted no time and fired off another arrow, getting the youkai right between the eyes. She didn't smile at her small victory but Inu Yasha could see the look of triumph in her expression. Little by little they were getting closer to Naraku and Kagome couldn't wait for it to be finished. She used up the last of her arrows before tossing the bow and quiver aside to draw the sword that Sesshoumaru had provided for her just before the battle. At first Inu Yasha was upset that Kagome would accept anything from the stoic youkai lord but finally, with a lot of self control, he calmed down.

Inu Yasha was now glad that Sesshoumaru had given her the sword. She had gotten very good over time with Sango and himself training her. She had also picked up a few pointers from Sesshoumaru during the last few weeks in their travels. Inu Yasha hated to admit it but his half brother was the better swordsman.

Kagome continued forward using her sword to purify youkai left and right. She was covered in blood by the time she got close enough to Naraku to do some damage. Some of the blood was hers; some of it belonged to youkai she had killed. Either way, the scent of the blood mixed with Kagome's already intoxicating scent had made fighting very difficult. If they hadn't been in the middle of a battle Inu Yasha would have taken her right then. Once more he exerted massive control over himself and forced away the oncoming arousal. That was when Naraku acted; moving so fast that Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha couldn't stop him. Kagome was suddenly wrapped up in one of the tentacles and yanked from her position between the brothers. Naraku brought her face to face with him; his expression was marred by a sadistic smile.

"Too bad you had to choose the wrong side Miko Kagome." Naraku said smoothly. "You could have ruled the world by my side. Now I will just have to kill you and take the few shards of the Shikon no Tama you have in your possession."

Kagome was completely disgusted with the hanyou but hid it under a mask of indifference, much the same as Sesshoumaru. That was when it happened and the tide of the battle turned. The chunk of jewel that Naraku possessed began to glow and strained against the chain around his neck as though trying to get away from him.

"What are you trying to do Kagome?" Naraku asked with a hint of anger. "You will never defeat me."

"I'm not doing anything." Kagome answered unemotionally though she would have given anything to know what the jewel was doing herself.

The Shikon no Tama ripped loose from the chain that held it around Naraku's neck and hovered for a few moments before glowing a bright pink. Kagome was shocked; the jewel had somehow purified itself? The remaining shards Kagome possessed flew into place and the jewel flashed brightly once, becoming whole on its own accord. It formed yet another chain and placed itself around Kagome's neck where it twinkled contentedly.

Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru had finally made a path between the attacking youkai leading directly to Naraku. The two brothers ran forward but were stopped when a barrier appeared around them. Inu Yasha immediately recognized Kagome's power and beat on the invisible wall.

"What the hell are you doing woman?" he demanded.

Sesshoumaru had missed what transpired with the Shikon no Tama and silently watched what was taking place now. A few remaining youkai tried attacking them but they disintegrated upon contact with the barrier. Inu Yasha could do nothing but watch as Kagome finally revealed every inch of her true power.

"The Shikon no Tama does not belong to one such as you." Kagome spat at Naraku. "It is the symbol for everything pure in the world; and you Naraku, are not pure."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth did the jewel start glowing brightly again. Kagome and Naraku were enveloped in a sphere of soft pink light. Miroku saw what was happening and erected a barrier around Shippou, Sango, Kouga and himself. There was no way the wolf youkai would be able to outrun this. The sphere expanded, a wall of purified energy covering the entire landscape. In the midst of it all was Naraku's death scream. Everyone present watched as he slowly began to disintegrate to dust. The tentacle holding Kagome disappeared and she landed gracefully on the ground. Finally the wall of purified energy faded leaving nothing behind but the seven companions and a field clean of any life whatsoever.

End Flashback

"So that led you to believe the Shikon no Tama actually had a mind of its own." Miroku stated. "Interesting."

"What's interesting?" Kikyou asked.

"Well, think about it for a moment if you will. The Shikon no Tama, in the past, needed to be purified in order for it to be used for the overall good right?"

"That's right." Kikyou answered.

"But if that's the case, the jewel is very susceptible to say, suggestion. Like a hypnotist only on a much grander scale."

"Are you saying that the jewel becomes whatever the one holding it wishes it to become?" Sango asked.

"It can but with Kagome it never became corrupted. It remained in its purified state at all times without any suggestion from her. I'm thinking that perhaps the jewel knew what was going to happen to it and has been directing us like actors in a play."

"You mean it's using us?" Inu Yasha demanded.

"Not in the sense that you're thinking Inu Yasha." Miroku continued. "Do we ask the Kami what their plans are for us? Not often because to ask something with that much power would be foolish indeed. No, the jewel was created from the pure soul of Midoriko. Upon its introduction to the world it was pure as it was meant to be. When Kagome accidentally shattered the jewel she unknowingly set off a chain reaction that the jewel had been aware of from the beginning. I believe that all of this transpired according to a plan. The Shikon no Tama took on the responsibility to rid the world of evil, hence Naraku. But it could not do this on its own so it chose the most unlikely of people to carry it until such time as it could carry out its task. Kagome was the perfect combination of love and purity and it chose her to defeat Naraku. As much as we all wished it, the one to land to killing blow could be none of us. Lady Kagome was the only one with enough power and spirit to land the blow that finally destroyed him." Miroku stopped and took a sip of the tea offered to him by Sango. "The jewel knew exactly what it was doing when it chose her. It also knew what it was doing when it returned to her body after Kagome made her wish on it. On that note I do have to agree with Lady Kaede when she said that the jewel had returned to heal Lady Kagome's soul. It boggles the mind to think about something on such a grand scale. To think that we were all destined to meet each other, become friends and find love in some of the most unusual places. It's also amazing to think what else our destinies have in store for us."

"Well right now my destiny is to curl up in my blanket and sleep for a few hours." Sango said.

Miroku and Kikyou followed suit just as Sesshoumaru, Kagura and Kouga returned from their perimeter rounds.

"All's quiet." Kagura said.

"Like you could do anything about it if it wasn't." Kouga said gruffly.

"This is not the time or place for such petty bickering." Sesshoumaru responded.

"We wouldn't even be doing this if you hadn't protected Kagome." Kouga growled at Kagura and Sesshoumaru.

"We've already been through this." Inu Yasha stated. "It's starting to get old."

"I don't care if we go through it a hundred times." Kouga fumed. "They should have protected her."

Sesshoumaru glared at the wolf youkai. "Do you care for your territory?"

Kouga froze in place and returned the taiyoukai's glare. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Answer the question."

"Yes I do care for my territory."

"You care for your home as you would care for a mate is that right?" Sesshoumaru asked stoically.

Kouga took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"I understand Sesshoumaru." Kouga said finally. "But I don't have to like it."

Kagome had awoken more than once and found Kinoko by her side each time. The Shikon no Tama reacted to the dragon youkai stronger and stronger with each visit. The last time Kinoko had left Kagome once more in tears due to the painful words and Kagome kept trying to convince herself of the false statements. She didn't want to believe them, didn't want to believe that Sesshoumaru didn't love her. After each fit of tears Kagome would curse herself for having such a weak heart.

Perhaps Sesshoumaru was right to begin with. Maybe she had let Inu Yasha destroy her sense of self worth; making her susceptible to Kinoko's words. Kagome knew that Kinoko wanted the jewel but she didn't understand what the dragon hoped to gain by telling her all these terrible things about Sesshoumaru.

Kagome sighed and looked across the room at the small mirror hanging on the wall. She was shocked at what she saw in her reflection. It no longer showed her as she was; a kitsune, mate of Sesshoumaru. Instead it showed her as she was in human form, still wearing her school uniform. Her face was streaked with tears and she looked like she wanted to die. But what drew her attention was the Shikon no Tama around her neck. It no longer glowed a steady pink but instead seemed to pulse like a heart beat. Kagome reached for the jewel and brought it up to eye level. That was when the world went bright.

Kagome's vision

Kagome looked around at the white expanse that surrounded her on all sides broken only by a soft pink light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"What is this place?" she asked aloud.

Much to her surprise she received an answer.

"You are within us miko youkai."

Kagome frowned. "Who are us?"

The jewel around her neck lifted away and hovered a few feet in front of her. "We are who you seek."

Kagome felt safe as the jewel spoke but the voice seemed to be many talking in unison as if in a collective consciousness.

"Why am I here?" she asked.

"You brought yourself here miko youkai." The jewel responded. "We are destined to protect you as you have been chosen to protect us. Your heart is heavy with the words of another that you know to be untrue."

Kagome shook her head. "But the things Kinoko said-"

"Are false." The jewel interrupted. "Deep within your pure heart lay the answers you so desire. You are indeed loved miko youkai by more than one but the one is all you cry for. You chose your path to make him happy now choose again to make yourself happy."

"But that would be selfish on my part." Kagome immediately answered.

"Did you not wonder why the jewel did not disappear?" a soft voice asked.

Kagome looked over her shoulder to see a woman with the exact same build and, surprisingly, the same face as hers, though more mature in appearance, wearing miko garb and a long sword at her waist.

"Midoriko! I just thought the total power of the jewel had not been used." Kagome whispered.

The woman smiled. "The jewel will never lose its power but it needs to be used so that it may pass from this plain of reality and enter the place you call dreams. You have wished on it for the happiness of another; and normally that is good enough. But you seem to be a very special case for the Shikon no Tama." The woman extended her hand and the jewel slowly lowered into her open palm. "Over the decades the Shikon no Tama somehow developed a sort of consciousness. It is aware of its own existence and knows what its destiny holds."

"But how does that make me a special case?" Kagome asked. "There's nothing I want."

"Isn't there? The jewel knows of your deepest desires regardless of how innocent or how dark they are. You are a rarity, a pure spirit. You think of the happiness of another before making yourself happy. Your wish to return the miko Kikyou to the living realm was blunt evidence of that. The jewel returned to your body instead of coming here, giving you the opportunity to heal your own soul. The jewel, like your friends, only wishes for your own happiness. Why do you deny something that the jewel is willing to give?"

Kagome shook her head. "I can't wish for myself. I'm not selfish."

"That is where you are wrong Kagome." The woman continued. "Deep down, when you returned Kikyou the only thing you desired was the friendship of a hanyou. Even deeper than that was the desire to be loved by him. You made the wish for him thinking to satisfy his wants and secretly yours as well. But the wish you made, though it did make Kikyou happy by giving her a second chance, did not heal your own soul. Slowly your love for the hanyou faded; replaced by the last one you ever expected to care. He may be proud and arrogant but his heart is yours Kagome."

Kagome stood there trying to absorb what the woman was telling her. "So what should I wish for?"

"That is for you to decide." The jewel spoke. "The outcome of your wish will harm none and serve to bring about your own happiness. Make your wish miko youkai Kagome and be happy."

The jewel rose once more and returned to its place around Kagome's neck where is shimmered even brighter than before.

"What do you want more than anything in the world Kagome?" Midoriko asked.

Kagome thought long and hard about what she wanted. She could wish for the well to be repaired so she could visit her family but then there was the chance that she would return to her time with no way to come back. There was also the chance that she may inadvertently damage the future with such a wish. As a youkai she would definitely live long enough to see them again and Sesshoumaru would be there to help her through the worst of it.

She didn't have to wish for his love because if what the jewel and Midoriko had told her was true; she already had it. Her friendship with Inu Yasha had been repaired and he now had someone to call his own. Miroku and Sango were married and had a wonderful future ahead of them with many children to come. The only thing Kagome really wanted was to know just how much and how deeply Sesshoumaru really loved her and whether he knew how much she loved him.

"He knows how much you love him Kagome." The woman responded. "And you already know how deep his feelings go for you as well."

"Then I don't really need to wish for anything." Kagome responded.

"Make your wish." The jewel thundered.

Kagome thought again about her wish and the picture of Sango and Miroku sprung to mind. Kikyou would live as long as Inu Yasha now that they were mated. Sesshoumaru now shared his life with her, but what of Sango and Miroku. What would happen to them? Kagome knew that it was selfish of her to want something of this nature but the Shikon wanted her to make the wish.

How would Sango and Miroku react to such a wish made by her? Would they be angry? Kagome had lost enough; she didn't want to lose anymore. She wanted her friends around her for all time, to be there for and for them to be with her. Kagura was another factor, what would become of her once her life debt was repaid.

"Kagura has been taken care of." Midoriko said. "She has her own destiny as does the one who secretly loves her."

Kagome grinned. "So Kagura has a secret admirer? Who is it?"

"That is not for me to say at this time. You will know when the time is right."

"How do I know I won't be hurt again?" Kagome asked. "I could always wish for things to be the way they were. I could choose to do it all over again couldn't I?"

"You could, but do you really want to? Would it make you happy? You would retain all the memories that you have now. Those would never fade. Are you ready to accept that? Are you willing to give up your love for the taiyoukai just to do everything all over again?"

Kagome looked down at the jewel and shook her head. "No I'm not. The only thing I can think of to want for myself is Sango and Miroku to always be around; to live as long as the rest of my friends."

"Is that the only thing you want Kagome?"

Kagome nodded then smiled brightly. "That's all I want."

The Shikon no Tama started to glow brightly and Kagome asked one last question. "What about you Midoriko?"

Midoriko smiled, "My soul will go onward as it was meant to…reincarnated about five hundred years from now into the body of a young woman who will once more bring the Shikon no Tama to this plane of existence."

With that the Shikon no Tama glowed brightly and Kagome was thrown into a world of nothing but bright pink light.

End Kagome's vision

Inu Yasha had taken a spot high up in a tree to wait out the few hours before they would wake up Sango, Miroku and Kikyou and continue toward the Southern Lands. Sesshoumaru stood a little ways away from the circle made by the firelight, also alert; his mind on rescuing Kagome.

Kouga and Kagura sat across from one another next to the fire, tossing an occasional glare at the other. Kagura was worried about Kagome but at the same time wanted to rip Kouga to shreds. Kouga was thinking along the same lines at the moment but found that he wasn't as angry with her as before. Shaking his head slightly he returned his gaze to the fire.

A few feet away Sango and Miroku slept but their dreams were filled with strange images that neither had ever seen before. Little did they know of what was about to be asked of them.

Sango and Miroku's dream

Sango walked onward through the world of bright pink that never seemed to end. She stopped when she heard someone approach and instinctively reached for her sword. Her shoulders relaxed somewhat when she saw Miroku emerge from what seemed to be a pink fog.

"What's going on Miroku?" Sango demanded. "What are you doing in my dream?"

Miroku frowned. "I'm not sure Sango." Then he smiled. "Perhaps this is heaven and we're the only two in it?"

"You'll never change Miroku." A familiar voice said.

Both Sango and Miroku looked toward the sound of the voice and felt a wave of relief when Kagome appeared before them. Sango wasted no time in embracing her best friend.

"Are you all right Kagome?" she asked.

Kagome sighed. "I'm fine but you both have been asked here for a reason."

"So this isn't just a dream." Miroku concluded. "I sense the aura of the Shikon no Tama everywhere in this place."

"We're actually in between worlds." Kagome explained. "Once the wish on the jewel is made this is where it will reside until such time as it is needed again."

"You have decided to make a wish upon it?" Miroku asked.

Kagome nodded. "The jewel instructed me to make a wish that would make me happy. I have everything I could possibly want now except…"

"Except what?" Sango inquired.

"What will happen to the two of you?" Kagome asked sadly. "The rest of us will continue to live while the two of you grow older and eventually die. I…I would ask something very important of you."

Sango suddenly felt for her friend. Kagome had never been selfish, never really wanting anything in return for her kindness. So for the miko to want something took a lot of pride swallowing.

"Go ahead and ask us Kagome." Sango said at last.

"I know it sounds selfish but I want you stay with us…forever."

Sango looked at Miroku, who had a very serious expression on his face.

"What of any children we have?" Miroku asked.

Kagome smiled. "They would inherit your immortality…if you should decide to stay."

Miroku took in the pleading eyes Kagome directed at both him and Sango. She really wanted them to stay with her. Was she that afraid of loosing everyone that she cared for? Miroku did not want to see the sadness in her eyes anymore and he was quite certain Sango didn't want to either.

"If Sango agrees then I agree." Miroku said finally.

Sango looked back at her friend and smiled. "Where do we sign up?"

Kagome held up the jewel around her neck with a smile bright enough to block out the sun. "Right here."

Sango and Miroku were blinded by the light given off by the jewel.

End Sango and Miroku's dream

The rest of the group was on their feet in an instant when they saw Sango and Miroku start to glow with a soft pink light. Kirara seemed beside herself as her mistress and master lit up and tried to get closer. Soon the light began to die down and Inu Yasha noticed them slowly becoming transparent. Looking around he saw that the newly married couple weren't the only ones vanishing. Lifting up his own hand he saw the same effect on himself.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"I think Kagome is using the power of the Shikon no Tama to bring us to her." Kikyou answered.

"Good." Kouga exclaimed just before he vanished completely. "Saves us some work."

Soon all that was left in the clearing were the embers of a dying fire.

Yes I am leaving it there. I made this chapter a little longer to kinda make up for the time I haven't been able to update this story. I apologize for this and hope you will forgive me and I hope to hear from all of you soon. Until next time…ja ne!


	15. Slaying of the Dragon

casts pleading look at readers I'm really trying to keep up with my own stories but it hasn't been easy these past few weeks. I also wanted to clear up some confusion on the last chapter. The way I ended the A/N at the end of the chapter led some readers to believe I wasn't going to update this anymore. I do apologize for that as well. It's the farthest thing from the truth. Once I start a fic I always finish it, regardless of how long it takes. So those of you who voiced this concern to me, I am sorry again for the confusion. This is a repost so the story is finished, I'm just revamping it. So, sit back, relax and enjoy!

Disclaimer: drools all over glass separating the rights from hot little hands If only I had diamonds for nails. sigh

Chapter 15: Slaying of the Dragon

Kagome awoke from her vision induced by the jewel when rough hands grabbed her by the arms and hauled her from the room.

"Let go of me." Kagome yelled and fought their merciless hold.

The two hulking youkai ignored her protests and struggles and continued to haul her down the corridor. They finally came to a room with large double doors, Kagome was literally tossed inside and the doors shut behind her. She rolled across the floor and finally stopped when her back painfully collided with something very hard. Looking over her shoulder she saw a huge stone pillar had been the thing responsible for stopping her. Turning her gaze back to the center of the room she saw Kinoko standing there with two new males that Kagome hadn't seen yet.

"Ah, my dear little Kagome." Kinoko cooed. "Did you rest well?"

Kagome glared at her hostess. "What was the real reason for bringing me here Kinoko? You've tried swaying my heart away from Sesshoumaru and I know you don't love him so jealousy isn't on your to-do list." She stood up. "There can be only two reasons you took me; one is revenge…the other is the Shikon no Tama."

Kinoko closed her eyes and sighed heavily. When she opened them again they were pitch black. "Hold her."

Kagome dropped into a defensive stance. The first guard came within striking distance and Kagome aimed high with her foot taking him in the chin. The second was purified on the spot, turning into a pile of dust at her feet. Three more guards rushed in at Kinoko's silent command and attacked. Kagome was finally subdued when the first guard came to his senses and helped them. Something was splashed in Kagome's eyes and she screamed when the liquid started to burn. She felt her strength ebbing away to almost nothing; her mind screaming along with her that something very precious had just been yanked away. She felt a tug at her throat and very slowly opened her eyes.

Kinoko examined the Shikon no Tama in her hand and realized that there was no power coming from it. The jewel no longer held its soft pink glow, instead it was crystal clear. She glared at Kagome before stalking forward and backhanding her. The only thing that kept Kagome on her feet were the guards holding her.

"What did you do to the jewel?" Kinoko snarled. "Why do I not sense its power?"

Kagome spit a bit of blood from her mouth then smiled at the dragon youkai. "I wished on it before you had your men bring me here."

Kinoko backhanded her again. "You bitch! I should have you killed but I know of something that will make my revenge against your mate even more rewarding." Kinoko smiled evilly and moved aside revealing a full length mirror. "You may have her."

Kagome didn't seem to hear the Southern Lady as she gazed at the mirror. She had returned to her human form; she wasn't youkai any longer. It wasn't until the guards holding her chuckled softly upon Kinoko's departure did what the dragon said register in Kagome's fogged mind. She felt the hands tighten on her limbs as the one with a bloody chin stepped in front of her.

"This is for making me bleed." He growled punched her square in the face.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to find themselves at the base of a huge mountain whose peak was hidden in the clouds.

"Where the hell are we?" Inu Yasha asked softly.

"On the farthest edges of the Southern Territory," Sesshoumaru answered. "The Shikon no Tama has brought us this far, our destination lies at the top of this mountain."

Sango and Miroku had awoken during the fast journey and now looked up toward the clouded peak.

"I recognize this place." Kouga said softly. "It's the home of Lady Kinoko; she's the queen of some dragon tribe."

"She is also the ruler of these lands." Sesshoumaru elaborated. "Her mate was killed in battle so she took the throne."

Inu Yasha smirked. "Just go ahead and tell 'em Sesshoumaru."

"What should he tell us?" Miroku asked.

"Sesshoumaru was the one who killed Lady Kinoko's mate." Inu Yasha informed them. "Disemboweled him; there was more of him on the outside than there was inside."

Kouga chuckled. "Sounds like fun."

Kikyou suddenly doubled over, dropping her bow and arrows. Everyone but Kouga and Sesshoumaru gathered around the miko.

"What is it?" Inu Yasha asked. "What's wrong?"

"They're killing her." Kikyou whispered and forced herself to stand straight. "We have to get up there and fast."

Kouga, Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha all exchanged glances. Kagura brought out her feather and began rising to the summit with Kikyou and Inu Yasha. Miroku and Sango wasted no time mounting Kirara and followed. Kouga ran straight up the mountain side while Sesshoumaru merely flew up.

All of them had a connection in some way with the young woman from the future. Two of them loved her, one had loved her, one had shared a soul and the rest were her family. They were all her friends and in different ways she made them all powerful, forcing them to reach within themselves for something they all thought was lost but merely hiding.

Sesshoumaru drew Toukijin. "Prepare yourselves."

Kinoko held the glass ball in her hand and felt tempted to crush it in her palm. Nothing about the miko had changed so what did she wish for. Down the corridor she could hear the sounds of the human miko's pain. Of course the potion to turn her back into a human was temporary but she would be dead by the time it wore off. Her miko powers had been another matter entirely. Kinoko had to find something that would block those as well turn her human.

The potion would only last a few hours, just enough time for Sesshoumaru to arrive and find her dead while a human. He had killed her mate so Kinoko decided the only course of action would be to kill his. Her plan was foolproof though finding out the miko had accepted Sesshoumaru's mark and took the youkai path was only a small obstacle. Luckily the witch she'd commissioned for the mirror in Kagome's room was easily able to overcome it.

Kinoko closed her eyes and savored the pain filled cries, soft though they were, coming from the room. Unfortunately she didn't have long to enjoy the moment. One of her many castle guards ran up and bowed low before her.

"Lady Kinoko, Lord Sesshoumaru and his companions have arrived. They are preparing to storm the castle."

Kinoko growled low in her chest. "They were not supposed to be here yet. How did they arrive so quickly?"

The guard shivered in his boots but did not rise from his bowed position. "They merely appeared at the base of the mountain my Lady."

Kinoko frowned. "Appeared?"

She looked down at the crystal clear jewel in her hand and stumbled slightly when the whole castle shook. After ordering the guard to return to his post she glanced back down the hall and saw the guards rushing toward her.

"Go and defend the castle," she ordered. "Let no one but Sesshoumaru get this far."

Kinoko slowly entered the room where Kagome was laying on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

"You wished them here didn't you?" she demanded. "You used the jewel to bring your mate and friends closer so they could save your worthless human skin."

Kagome remained silent but her heart sang when she realized that her friends had finally arrived.

"It is a shame they arrived too late." Kinoko said softly while pushing a lock of Kagome's hair away from her pale face. "But they will have the opportunity of saying good bye to you."

Kinoko abruptly straightened and Kagome screamed when Kinoko brought her foot down on the base of Kagome's spine. A sickening snap was heard and tears escaped Kagome's eyes. When Kinoko removed her foot Kagome could no longer feel her legs.

"Die like my mate died Lady of the Western Lands, alone and without honor."

Kikyou felt the pain in her back as she shot another dragon, turning him to a pile of dust. They had long been separated from Sesshoumaru and Kagura. The two of them had stormed the entrance as soon as they reached the summit where Lady Kinoko's castle stood. Very slowly the rest of the rescue party made their way inside, stepping over dead bodies and adding more to the piles as they went.

'Please live through this Kagome.' Kikyou whispered mentally. 'I do not wish to see the aftermath of such an event should you die.'

Inu Yasha unleashed the Kaze no Kizu and succeeded in shaking the castle in its foundation. Kikyou readied another arrow and let it fly, hitting her mark between the eyes of a dragon guard.

Sesshoumaru and Kagura followed Kagome's scent down a number of hallways before emerging in what appeared to be the throne room. Lady Kinoko stood by one of the many picture windows, sipping a glass of wine and appearing to be totally at ease.

"Where is my mate?" Sesshoumaru demanded softly.

Kinoko smiled at the taiyoukai. "Sesshoumaru, such a pleasant surprise; you never come to visit."

"Where is Kagome? I will not give you another opportunity to answer again."

Kinoko shook her head. "I'm afraid your mate is no longer here."

Kagura opened her fan just slightly. "Where did she go then?"

"To the afterlife of course," Kinoko stated. "You will join her shortly."

The room was suddenly filled with the remaining dragon soldiers but Sesshoumaru and Kagura didn't budge.

"We will be joining no one." Sesshoumaru responded. "You will return my mate to me now or suffer the consequences."

Kinoko set down her wine glass. "I think not Sesshoumaru. Make one move toward me and my guards will disembowel you the same way you did my mate. Now be a good pup and drop your swords."

At that moment the doors were flung open and the rest of the rescue party barged in. Soon an all out war was raging in the throne room and Kinoko moved out of the way to watch the blood bath. She stood in front of the throne her mate had once occupied, her dark eyes watching all that took place.

Sesshoumaru decapitated a guard and gained another foot in his journey toward Kinoko. Deep in his ice covered heart he knew Kagome was still alive. If she were dead he would know and that feeling of dread had not settled in his soul. The dragon bitch was the only one who could tell him where the location of his mate was. In other words; he needed her alive. That thought alone made him growl.

Kagome opened her blood crusted eyes when the sounds of fighting reached her ears. Very slowly, though painfully she used her arms to roll onto her stomach and started to pull herself toward the door. Her legs drug the floor behind her making the normally short journey a very long one. Finally she pulled herself out into the hall and down toward the sounds of fighting, thanking every Kami there was the door had been left open. Passing by a dead dragon, she took a moment to grab the bow and arrows he'd been carrying. They were bulky and it made the crawl that much more of a hindrance but she refused to be left out of the fight.

Fresh blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and nose onto the marble floor. Her breath was coming in very short gasps and every inch of her body hurt.

"If I live through this I'm taking a vacation." She muttered.

After what felt like forever Kagome finally propped herself up in a spot across from the door and saw the signs of an all out war going on. Blood sprayed from the dragon guards and all over everything, wings had been severed and bodies lay on the floor. Kagome looked through the entrance and spotted Kinoko standing a bit away from the rest of her tribe. A smile made it to her face when she saw Sesshoumaru fighting his way toward the dragon ruler.

"Kill the leader and the tribe crumbles." She muttered to herself, remembering what Sango had taught her about youkai clans, tribes and packs.

Pulling on the last of her strength she retrieved an arrow from the quiver she'd acquired and pulled back on the bow. Without her miko power she wouldn't be able to purify the dragon leader but she was determined to get in one good shot.

"Kagome," Kikyou was suddenly beside her, having seen her reincarnation trying to string up the bow.

"Have to hit Kinoko." Kagome said softly.

Kikyou moved behind Kagome and rested the girl's weight against her chest. Placing her hands over Kagome's, she poured her miko energy into the arrow.

"On the count of three," Kikyou said softly.

"One," Kagome whispered.

"Two," Kikyou stated, helping Kagome aim the bow.

"Three," they said in unison and released the arrow.

"Let this count." Kagome rasped, refusing to let the impeding darkness creeping on the edge of her vision take over until she saw Kinoko take the hit.

Time seemed to slow down as the arrow flew straight and true for Kinoko. The dragon's eyes widened in shock and surprise when the arrow struck her dead center in the chest, still glowing with power. She reached up for the arrow and saw the beaten Kagome in the corridor leaning against the miko Kikyou.

She took a few unsteady steps toward the two women, her wings outstretched in a menacing way. Sesshoumaru had stopped in his flight to kill Kinoko when he saw her stagger to the center of the room. Kinoko was about halfway to Kagome when her legs were suddenly too heavy to move. Looking down she saw that she was slowly turning to stone.

"Damn you!" Kinoko screamed and hurled a giant ball of energy at the weakened Kagome.

Before it reached its mark, Kagura appeared between them and created a barrier of wind. The ball of energy collided with the barrier and bent it inward. Sweat trickled down Kagura's face as she pushed back against the attack. Her training sessions with Kagome were far more intense but dragon energy was still nothing to laugh at. With a loud cry, Kagura opened her fan all the way and put every ounce of power she had into the barrier.

Gritting her teeth, Kagura pushed against the attack and succeeded in deflecting it. The ball of energy slammed into the outer wall, taking a few dragon youkai with it. Little by little the fighting ended and when the dust settled a statue of Kinoko was all that remained of the Lady of the Southern Lands. Kagome smiled at the sight then looked down the hall from the direction she had come. It was then she saw the trail of blood she'd left behind. Slowly her friends gathered around her, exchanging congratulations.

"You will be all right Kagome." Sesshoumaru whispered.

"I know that now." She responded then looked at Sango and Miroku. "So what did you guys decide?"

"Human." They answered together.

Kagome smiled broadly at them then let her eyes drift closed. "This was one hell of a honeymoon."

Panic started to sweep through the group when Kagome stopped breathing and her head fell against Kikyou's shoulder. That panic quickly turned to smiles when the Tensaiga began to pulse with its need to be used.

Well, there you have it folks. I beefed up the battle scene a bit for this repost because it just didn't do it for me the first time around. For those of you that are reading this for the first time and are curious, there will be one more chapter posted bringing yet another fun filled fiction to a close. Hope to hear from you soon. Ja ne!


	16. Etched in Stone

Hey all, I'm back! So go ahead and read the final chapter of Cracked But Not Broken; hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or Sesshoumaru but I've decided to keep them locked away in my hentai closet. I'll give them back in a few years with interest.

Warning: This chapter will contain lemon. There will be a warning when it begins and one when it ends so those of you who do not enjoy them can skip it. Thank you!

Chapter 16: Carved in Stone

Sesshoumaru and the others stood back as the wounds on Kagome's body slowly healed under the swing of Tensaiga's blade. They all breathed a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru gently lifted her off the floor and watched one of her feet twitch in her sleep. Kagome was going to be just fine.

The span of two weeks passed after Sesshoumaru brought her home but there was still no sign of her waking up. The taiyoukai never once left her side, choosing to dine in their rooms in case she should wake up. The rest of the rescue group returned to the village to bring back the children and Sesshoumaru told them they could stay until Kagome awoke. They all had come to check on Kagome and he let them though it was with a bit of annoyance. At night he would lay beside her, pulling her close so he could get lost in her scent.

Within the first hours of bringing her home he had watched with fascination as her youkai attributes returned. Her hair slowly regained its silver streaks and red highlights which he had come to admire almost as much as the black raven it had once been. The markings slowly returned as well along with her delicate claws and ears. A little while later movement under the blankets caught his eye and he lifted he cover; watching with an amused expression as her tail twitched with her dreams. It hadn't taken him long to decipher the reason why she had turned human, having smelled the potion Kinoko had thrown into his beloved's eyes. His first order of business would be to find and 'convince' the witch that had concocted such a potion to give him the composition of it.

The second day of the third week came; Sesshoumaru was asleep beside her when she shifted and rolled into his embrace. He awoke immediately and gently shook her thinking he'd dreamed the whole experience but knew better due to her change in position. Kagome opened her eyes and smiled brightly though sleepily at him.

"Hello." She whispered.

Sesshoumaru pulled her tight against him and breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome gasped while gently patting his back. "Breath…air."

Sesshoumaru actually looked a little apologetic when he released her.

"I feared you would never awaken." He said after a moment.

Kagome yawned and stretched. "How long was I out?"

"Almost three weeks."

Kagome sat up in shock gasping at the stiffness of her body then looked around in confusion before gingerly touching her legs. "I can feel them."

"The Tensaiga has many uses my mate." He responded while lounging back against the headboard of their bed.

Kagome smiled at him again then threw the blankets aside and tried to stand up. Sesshoumaru watched her carefully and was by her side the moment she started to fall. Reaching out for one of the posts on their bed she gingerly stepped from his embrace but frowned when he refused to leave her side.

"I have to walk Sesshoumaru." She snapped gently. "Let me try."

"Fall again and I will carry you."

Kagome blushed and forced her needs aside until she could stand on her own. There was no way in hell he was going to watch while she went to the bathroom.

'I hate it when nature calls.' She thought to herself. 'It always happens at the most embarrassing time.'

Sesshoumaru stood back as she slowly put on foot in front of the other while still holding on to the bedpost. Finally she released it and slowly made her way to their personal bathing room. He kept his distance from the door knowing she would yell loudly just to make his ears ache because of it. He dressed and smiled to himself when he heard the familiar splash of water as she washed. Finally she emerged fully dressed in a modest yukata and started walking toward the door of their chambers.

"Where are you going?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

Kagome huffed at him. "I've been asleep for almost three weeks Sesshoumaru, I have to eat."

Sesshoumaru smiled lovingly at her and offered his arm to her. Kagome grudgingly accepted it and together they headed for the kitchen where her friends and allies were waiting to see her. Sesshoumaru couldn't control the amusement that made his eyes twinkle when they saw Kagome up and around.

"I wonder when she'll wake up." Sango said wistfully while pouring herself and Miroku a cup of tea.

"I hope it's soon." Kagura said softly.

"What's wrong Kagura?" Kikyou asked.

Kagura looked across the room at Kouga. "I…it is time for me to answer for my crimes."

Inu Yasha frowned at her. "You have a life debt to Kagome. You can't just walk away from that."

Kagura stood. "Do you think I want to? Do you think I want to answer for the acts of another? I killed Kouga's tribe; I'll speak with Kagome about releasing me from the Life Debt."

"I will do no such thing." Kagome fumed from the doorway.

Everyone was suddenly on their feet and rushing Kagome as she slowly walked in. A growl from Sesshoumaru made them all take a step back so she could sit down.

"You will not turn yourself over just to be killed." Kagome demanded.

"I will have my retribution." Kouga stated coldly. "Whether Naraku ordered her to or not she still killed my kin."

Kagome was about to argue her point when she felt Sesshoumaru's hand on her shoulder. She slumped her shoulders in defeat then turned tear filled eyes to Kouga.

"There has to be some other way Kouga. There just has to be."

Kagura placed a hand on Kagome's other shoulder. "There is no other way." She smiled down at Kagome. "Thank you for believing in me when no one else would."

Kouga watched the exchange in a new light. Kagura was scared; he could smell her fear along with her sadness. She really didn't want to leave Kagome. He started to follow the wind youkai but stopped when he saw her close her eyes and one lone tear ran down her cheek.

"I will await you in the courtyard Kouga."

Kouga sighed then looked at Kagome. Their gazes locked and in that moment Kagome knew that he wouldn't kill her. That's when she recalled what Midoriko had told her and grinned broadly.

Kouga merely winked at her, leaving the rest of the kitchen's occupants in a state of shock.

"What the hell was that about?" Inu Yasha demanded.

Kagome merely giggled and Kikyou looked at her curiously.

"Why can't I feel what you're emotions are anymore?" the miko asked.

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't even notice until you said something."

"So we've been separated somehow." Kikyou mused. "Interesting."

"You mean to tell me that Kikyou could 'sit' me because of that weird bond you two had?" Inu Yasha asked in shock.

"It would appear so Inu Yasha." Miroku answered.

"Let's put it to the test." Kagome said with a wicked tone in her voice.

Inu Yasha backed away from her. "Now just a damn minute!"

"Sit!" Kagome exclaimed.

Inu Yasha waited but breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again bitch." He muttered.

"Sit!" a calm voice stated.

Inu Yasha fell face first on the floor and Kikyou raised her cup of tea to her lips to hide the smile while the others roared with laughter. Sesshoumaru called for Jaken to awaken the cook so Kagome could eat while the five friends continued their talk.

"I'm ready." Kagura said softly.

Kouga picked her up bridal style and took off toward his home. Kagura was very quiet and was silently wondering whether he would make her death quick and painless or slow and agonizing. They journeyed on through the night and stopped just as the sun rose. Kagura was confused but said nothing as he set her on her feet.

"There's another way to do this Kagura." Kouga stated.

Kagura remained silent; she was a prisoner after all.

"Instead of taking your life I have come to another much more…acceptable conclusion."

Kagura finally spoke up. "What conclusion did you come to?"

Kouga glared over his shoulder at her. "You're strong, strong enough to kill some of my most powerful warriors. I give you this choice Kagura; become my mate and atone for your murders by repopulating my den or you can die here and now."

"What about the rest of your tribe?" Kagura asked, thoroughly confused.

"One of the elders once brought up this solution at one of our meetings. Many of the council agreed with him and now I believe it to be the only logical choice. Killing you in atonement won't bring back my brothers but repopulating my den will make us as strong as we once were maybe stronger."

Kagura gazed at the wolf youkai and drew in a shocked breath as the sun began to rise directly behind him. He looked absolutely gorgeous against that backdrop; the sun giving him an unearthly glow. Finally she nodded her head once and extended her hand.

"I accept your terms Kouga, Prince of Wolves."

Kouga grasped her hand to seal the verbal agreement then smiled sadly. "My life wouldn't be a very happy one anyway if I did kill you. Kagome would never talk to me again."

"Did you love her that much?" Kagura asked as they turned back to watch the sunrise.

"…Yes." Kouga answered softly.

Kagura decided not to push the issue and blushed furiously when she realized that she was actually looking forward to mating with the wild wolf by her side.

'Perhaps this is what Kagome felt when she'd think about mating with Sesshoumaru.' Kagura thought to herself and quickly turned back to the sunrise. Things were definitely going to get interesting now.

The morning began as it usually had but Kagome was still upset over the fact that Kagura was no longer there. It had been almost two months before they received word that Kouga had mated the wind youkai and she was already pregnant with their first pup. Kagome had just about run to Kouga's den just to beat the living daylights out of him for not saying something sooner. This didn't upset her, the idea that they'd waited so long to send word to her.

Inu Yasha and Kikyou had set up a home on the outskirts of the village; right next door to Miroku and Sango. She'd laughed when the hanyou complained about hearing them at night. Sesshoumaru had settled in to the routine of training Shippou and Kagome with their kitsune abilities and he, along with Kagome, had officially adopted Rin.

Rin was still very much human and Sesshoumaru was curious to find out how the magic surrounding the ceremony would affect her later in life, if at all. Since it was never heard of a youkai officially adopting a human child the outcome would be not only a surprise but a study of theoretical outcomes. It was found out that many youkai had wanted to perform the act but were afraid due to these same fears. Sesshoumaru was convinced Kagome's connection to the Shikon no Tama and her inner miko had much to do with it but would have to wait for his answers.

Kagome opened the balcony doors to let in the cool morning air and sighed. Sesshoumaru was already gone indicating that he had not returned from his patrols yet. Getting dressed in a deep blue fighting kimono with slits up the sides she headed down to the dining room for a quick breakfast then went to the dojo to train. Upon opening the door she almost dropped her sword when she saw a shirtless Sesshoumaru going through a number of warm up exercises. His skin was covered with a bright sheen of sweat and his hair had been braided to keep it out of his way.

"Good morning mate." He greeted once he was done. He smirked at the expression on her face and the scent of her arousal in the air. "I see you have your mind on other matters today."

Kagome blushed and looked at the floor as though it were the most interesting thing in the world. He was suddenly behind her with his hot breath on her exposed neck.

"My mind is on other matters as well." He admitted. "So how do you propose we handle this?"

Kagome leaned back into his chest, tilting her head to the side allowing him access to his mark on her shoulder. He nipped at it gently while maneuvering her to the center of the room. Lowering himself into a sitting position he took her with him placing her in his lap.

Sesshoumaru stood up after a few moments and helped Kagome to her feet as well. After helping her fix the fighting kimono he smiled down at her.

"I love you Kagome." He responded, telling her the words she longed to hear from him. "I believe we should concentrate on 'attacks' from behind however."

Kagome glared playfully at him before he retrieved his haori and put it on before stepping out into the comfortable afternoon. As they walked back toward the castle something caught Kagome's eye through the tall hedges and she heard giggling.

"What's that?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru lifted his head and sniffed the air. "I smell the hanyou and his companions but they have been gone for a while."

Kagome stepped around the hedge and gasped. Sesshoumaru followed immediately after and lifted an eyebrow at what had greeted them. The stone-trapped figure of Kinoko stood before them with Rin and Shippou sitting in front of it grinning like mad. Sesshoumaru saw a scroll sitting on the ground before the statue and retrieved it. Opening it up he smiled then handed it over to Kagome to read.

Dear Kagome and Sesshoumaru,

Kikyou insisted that she prove she had a sense of humor. So we're warning you ahead of time that this was NOT our idea. She thought it would be fitting to put Kinoko in a place where she would constantly see everything she'd lost through her twisted revenge plot. Kikyou begged me to tell you to mate in front of it at least once. Sick I know but that's what she told me to write. Apparently Kinoko is not dead. When the arrows struck some of Kagome's power was somehow mixed in there as well; Kikyou seems to think it was some sort of residual power from the jewel. The arrow turned her to stone but she's completely aware of everything that's going on around her. She can see and hear yet can do nothing about it. Don't even ask how we got it but I will say that even Kikyou is full of surprises still. Miroku actually dared me to take what you called 'a leak' on her but Kikyou stopped me. Let us know what you think of the gift.

Inu Yasha

Kagome was in stitches by the time she finished reading and fell back on the grass.

"It would appear that the miko does have a sense of humor." Sesshoumaru stated after her laughter died down. "But pray tell, what is 'a leak'?"

Shippou burst out laughing and rolled around for a moment before he motioned to the youkai lord to bend down so he could whisper the answer. The kit didn't think it would be appropriate for Rin to hear the answer. Sesshoumaru was chuckling softly when he stood back up. Kagome suddenly started laughing even harder and Sesshoumaru looked at the statue once more to see what had made her mirth rise once more. His eyebrow rose again as a bird that had been perched on Kinoko's head flew away leaving behind very profound evidence on her face.

Well, there you have it. Cracked But Not Broken is finally complete. I decided to end this story on a rather humorous note. I am currently in the process of revamping another one of my older fics. Keep your eyes open for it. Thanks again for all the great reviews, they mean the world to me. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it and I'm hoping you enjoy my other stories as well. I'll see you all again very soon. Ja ne!


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